


Snowgirl and Iceman

by Dagron



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: Still Have Powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2018-03-08 13:11:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3210383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dagron/pseuds/Dagron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the media harping on about the recent crime wave in Arendelle, the Countess of Gyllenblom naturally worries about her younger sibling... while still trying to hide her powers from her. Yet Anna seems strangely evasive when it comes to spending some time with her sister. What is she hiding? And who is this mysterious Snowgirl vigilante people are talking about?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Distance

The radio crackles slightly as the news announcer shifts in his seat, his local accent strong as he adjusts his tone for the more serious news item on his sheet.

"Arendelle is still suffering from a blight of criminal activity beating all records. The mayor's opposition are blaming the surge of muggings and assaults on what they perceive to be his lack of authority. Mayor Weselton has not been available for comment, but sources close to him say he is very ticked off, ya? I remind listeners that our Mayor's latest response to the soaring statistics was that he intends to tackle the issue at its heart fiercely, in his words: like a bull with the face of a lion. Radio Arendelle would like to urge citizens to exercise caution in the port and student districts at all times."

The tapping of papers on the desk finishes off the news section, as a jingle begins to play in the background.

"And that is all for your morning news today!" The man's voice is back to its customary cheerful tone, his beaming smile behind the microphone obvious to all who listen. "I shall now leave you in Stefan's capable hands for music hour. Next bulletin at noon! Yoo hoo!"

* * *

**_Distance_ **

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

The old grandfather clock in the hallway rings the hour. My shoes click along the corridor in time with each chime. One, two, three... On the seventh step, I stop, along with the clock which resumes its more subtle ticking. I stand still, staring at the door before me. I lose count of the seconds I spend observing the designs beautifully painted on its white panelling. Waves of nostalgia assault me as my fingers trace the shape of a flower. This door used to be familiar, a daily sight back when the paint on it had still been fresh. Now, as I notice the cracks in the paint, the scuff marks that no amount of cleaning could get rid of and the odd dent or unexplained stain, I remember how foreign it has since become to me.

This is Anna's room.

With a deep sigh, I recall the reason why I am here. Pulling up the gloves on my hands, I rap upon its entrance. There is no answer. I wait a moment, puzzlement furrowing my brow. When the silence, still populated only by the ticking clock and my own muttering, extends long enough that I start worrying at my lower lip, I give in and rap again, my voice hesitantly calling out her name.

"Anna? Anna, it's me."

_Hey sis, it's me, Elsa, that girl who can't even eat breakfast in the same room as you._

Ignoring my inner voice, I push down the door handle, letting the door creak open before me. Anna couldn't have gone back to sleep, could she? Johanna did say that she had been down for breakfast, right? The elderly maid, her hair grey from nearly two decades of cleaning up my sibling's messes, had mentioned Anna going back to her room to get ready for school.

"Anna!" I hiss as I creep into her room, hating the feeling of intruding, regretting the offer I'd made the night before as I felt the inside of my gloves grow slick and cold. My skin itches. I remind myself to keep cool. Hugging my arms to my chest, I take a deep breath. "Anna, if we don't hurry you'll be late for class."

As I take in the mess of her room, the discarded bed sheets and obvious lack of eighteen-year-old girl, the tingle of my powers fade. My frustration is replaced by disappointment. I cannot see Anna, nor can I see her satchel. Striding over to the ornate window, I take my seat to observe the sight I'd feared.

There she is, astride her bike in her bright purple anorak, the white satchel I'd been looking for solidly strapped onto her back. Her helmet is pulled on tight as she swerves past one of our guards, waving energetically at him as she powers down the private road out of the castle's grounds. I groan as I hold my head in my hands. I had told her last night that I was willing to drive her to school. With the way the town has been recently, I am reluctant for her to go to school alone. The local news is full of stories of people being robbed on the street or attacked. Ever since the start of the "crime spike" as it is referred to, I have had Gerda, our housekeeper drive her to and from Arendelle High.

Gerda has today off. She has a family event to attend on the west coast. After all the time and care she has devoted to our family over the years, I would never have dreamed of saying no to her request.

Nor would I have expected Anna to refuse a car ride with me, then again, she did love running about in the open air, come rain or shine. I brought back to mind her reaction from the night before.

"You want to drive me to school?" My sister had looked startled, her strawberry blonde plaits whirling around suddenly. I had caught her in the corridor after dinner, too nervous to ask her while we had been eating. Her face showed signs of conflicted feeling as she wrung her hands. "I'd been thinking of cycling tomorrow. I haven't been on my bike in ages!"

"Please, Anna?" Despite the desperate tone in my voice, my plea sounded weak even to my own ears. I wanted to tell her how much I worry, how much I care, but the words were stilled. Fear and guilt, as always, holding me back. I do not want her to see my guilt; I need to conceal my fears. Instead I waited, elbows gripped tightly in gloved hands.

Her turquoise eyes then fixed on me, the most direct look she had given me in months. Anna's usually open face, normally flitting between emotions clearly, seems guarded. Is my sister hiding something I wonder? The thought is chased away as quickly as it comes. I'm the one hiding the big, heartbreaking secret. I'm the one who hides behind a door, who avoids her if I can.

"I don't want to be a burden." She said. I could sense pain behind the words, a self-deprecating softness in her voice as she once more turns her eyes away from me. I could not understand how she could ever consider herself a burden. I still can't. Before she could say anything else, I stepped up to her, my proximity forcing her to meet my gaze.

"I'll come for you at seven." My voice sounds sharp, the words slightly more commanding than I had intended. Tilting my head, I allowed myself to show the deep fondness I always have for her, my words coming out softer now, my right hand swinging down to hang loosely by my side as the other gently continues to hold onto an elbow. "And Anna? You are never a burden, you hear."

I still remember the look of hesitant hope that had flickered in her eyes. It was followed by a chuckle as she shook her head, whatever thought she had had left unshared.

"Fine Elsa, I'll consider it..." Resuming her walk down to her wing of the castle, she called out, a small lilt in her voice. "Better go and finish my homework. See you tomorrow morning then!"

I had been looking forward to it, but now... As I watch her cycle away from her bedroom window, I am reminded of how time leaves its mark. How long has it been since Anna and I last managed to hang out, chat and play as sisters ought to? For years she had been most determined to break through my self-imposed isolation, to shatter the barriers our parents and I had erected. There have been times where she got very close to making me drop the mask, moments where she and I would share a smile, a quip. Yet for every instance where our bond was allowed to reform ever so slightly, there were several times as many where the door would remain shut, my eyes would stay dull and my lips sealed by fear.

No wonder she gave up. After our parents passed away, after the funeral that I was unable to attend, my powers responding overwhelmingly to the depth of my grief, she no longer sought me out. My sister stopped knocking at my door, voice hopeful that she'd get a positive response. She no longer took to following me like a shadow whenever I was about where she could go. Some days I wonder if she even cares anymore...

I turn away from her bedroom window, glistening eyes roaming over the various items in the room, my gaze stopping on one of the posters on the wall.

A sarcastic smirk finds its place on my face. It's the poster for this one movie she's recently become fond of. It's a superhero action-heavy tale in which people are born with superpowers. I only know this because she bought me the DVD as a Christmas present. She even drew me a picture, placing me alongside the protagonists.

I had thought it cute. Even though the distance between us had grown, she still wants to share with me the things she loves. She has no idea how much it hurt to realise that she had drawn me as part of a group of mutants.

I'm her hero, even after all these years, but I know all too well that magical powers don't work that way. They don't make the world a better place, or help you fight evil. I couldn't even keep my baby sister safe from mine.

Cringing at the memory of that terrible night, so many years ago now, I turn away from the poster. I can't think of it; not now, not here. Fighting back the lone tear threatening to spill from my eyes, I march out of the room, mindful of the hint of frost I manage to leave on her doorknob as I close the door.

I need to keep my distance, for Anna's sake... but I don't want us to be distant.

I don't want to be alone.

* * *

**Anna Gyllenblom**

She feels bad as she pushes her bike the short remaining distance to the school. The red head stumbles as the bike bumps onto the sidewalk leading to the establishment's gates. She bites her lip, pauses, and sighs. Her arms feel heavy and weak, her eyes sting. She should have accepted Elsa's offer.

"Hey, Anna!" A male voice calls out to her, its tone light and carefree. "Gosh, you look exhausted."

It reminds her of why she couldn't. Wiping angrily away at the wetness in her eyes, she tries to give the boy a half-hearted smile. If she won't let Elsa find out why she's so tired, then he can't either.

"Hey Jack..." Resuming the pushing of her bicycle into the Arendelle High's grounds, she falls into step with him as they make their way to the bike sheds. He doesn't have a bike, but she knows he just likes to hang out with her. With a huff she shrugs off his comment. "It's nice to see you too."

Taking the hint, he just smiles warmly at her as he leans down at her side. As always, she feels a pinch in her heart as she notices how his smile doesn't seem to reach his eyes, how the sharp blue of his irises turns grey and dull. It is moments like this where she hesitates to call him a friend, despite really wanting to. He reminds her very much of her sister. They're both holding something back. She can tell by the melancholy quirk of their brows, the way they fall quiet at odd times. It is both infuriating and sad, because whenever the moment passes... She starts to doubt it ever was.

With a sharp turn of his head and a chirp, her friend Jack is back to his usual mischievous self. Rummaging in his pockets he chuckles.

"Oh yeah," he says. "I got that picture I wanted to show you!"

"No way!" Recalling the alleged contents of this much alluded to snap Anna fumbles and drops the keys to her padlock.

"Yeah, way!" Jack's smile can't get any smugger as he straightens up, whips a bit of card from his pocket, and awaits her reaction. She tries not to get too distracted by the way he leans against the bike shed, his other hand deeply ensconced in his light weather jacket's pocket. The boy is a natural poseur.

The red head gingerly takes the proffered image and, with all the seriousness of an avid art collector, examines its contents. It's a photo, taken outdoors, of two youngsters. The eldest, a boy of maybe fourteen or fifteen is gently holding a younger girl's shoulder as she smiles uncertainly at the camera. His rueful grin is uncannily familiar, and as Anna looks up, she stares in shock. It is Jack, a younger Jack, one with brown hair and brown eyes and a brown coat, but still the same infuriating class clown, moments away from giving the ten year old girl bunny ears. Anna's turquoise eyes flit between the eyebrows on the snap and Jack's before her. The same brown, the same shape, they are identical, yet... Jack Frost, the high school student before her has platinum white hair, and his eyes that crinkle with barely restrained mirth are as blue the hooded jacket he wears, its sleeves stained with white paint that he can't seem to wash off.

"I..." Anna no longer looks at the snap, staring at Jack as he takes the photo back. She is half tempted to believe the picture a forgery, a cleverly done photographic manipulation, but then she remembers feeling the corned edges, the slight crease in the back of the paper... That picture... The way Jack glances down warmly and wistfully at it before returning it to his pocket... "I don't know what to say. How...?"

"Will you allow me to say I told you so?" The eighteen-year-old before her sniggers and she goes to bat him about the head before reaching for the heavens in frustration. Picking up his satchel, Jack leans in to look her in the eye, holding her gaze with an intensity that surprises her. "My hair is white because I had an accident when I was fourteen. Even my eye colour changed. I wasn't born with it."

Anna wants to argue that his hair is platinum and silver with bits of the lightest brown she's ever seen, not just white, but she knows it would defeat the point. Jack is hammering in the fact that he isn't like her sister Elsa, who as far as Anna knows, has always had champagne white hair, a blond so light that in a certain light it would glow, the ginger-brown eyebrows they shared the more reassuring hint at their sibling bond. Yet there is something earnest and caring in the way Jack shares this information with her, in the way the melancholy has returned to his brow. His smile saddens as he steps back, before glancing towards the school's entrance and noticing someone there.

"Hey, I'd better shoot." He gives her a quick wave before loping away on those impossibly long legs of his. "I wanna see if Toothy's brought in her mice today! I'll catch you in class."

"Wait, Jack! That girl in the photo, is that...?" Anna's too distracted to even roll her eyes at Jack's irreverent nickname for Tatiana the girl in their year that always tops the leader boards. How the severe looking Tatiana manages to put up with him, she can't help but wonder.

"My sister, yeah..." Jacks voice softens as he walks backwards to answer Anna's query, but it doesn't take long for him to resume his more usual flippant tone. "And if I were you, I'd stop losing sleep over siblings."

And on that parting quip, her only friend in school runs off, away to chase popularity as he has always been wont to. Anna sighs deeply, fiddling with the end of one of her braids. If only he knew...

But he couldn't know that the reason she hadn't slept last night was nothing to do with Elsa. It was all very much to do with her more nocturnal extra-curricular activities. He would probably love it if she told him but... She didn't want him to know that she would occasionally spend the nights prowling the very streets he likes to haunt, that she knew which walls had his mark on them, his frost like graffiti decorating many a dark alley. For all his bravado and trickery, Jack hated to see people put themselves in danger, real, lethal danger. She still remembers his face when he had caught Astrid trying to convince her to walk across the thin ice of a pond, Anna meekly going along with it in an attempt to gain the bullish girl's approval.

Jack wouldn't want to know that he was the one that led her to her most dangerous hobby.

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

With Anna away, I find my plans for the morning somewhat derailed. After dropping her off, I had intended to stop by the library to get some coursework done before heading to my first lecture of the day, Wednesday being one of the few days of the week where the running of the estate didn't interfere with my university time. Yet I can't bring myself to drive, not after the shock of Anna not waiting for me. I could ask Kai, our head of grounds and butler, but he is busy overseeing the repairs to the west wing this morning, and I do not wish to disturb him. Feeling the storm in my gut and the goose bumps on my skin, I give in. The only way for me to focus, to calm down before I unleash any more than an armful of ice is to go there... the old store room.

It is not a room I enjoy, but when visited in the right mood, there are items of interest there that help, that centre and ground me. Leaving my satchel on the ornamental table at the top of the staircase, I trudge up to the second floor, my shoulder brushing gently against the thin wood panelling that separates this part of the castle from the public area tourists are shown in the winter season. Arendelle castle, our ancestral home, is one of the very few cultural tourist spots in Norway to be closed in summer, between the months of May and September. Only a couple more weeks and I'll no longer hear the trained voices of the guides showing people, both local and foreign, around the more antique areas of the building. For now, I only have a few short hours before the doors open and the first showings start. Hopefully my trip to the store room will prove short. I have no wish to overhear the guides tell ghost stories once more as they near the part of the castle that houses my room.

There's a reason why we do not open the doors of the castle in summer.

The room I'm looking for is in a dark and dusty part of the north wing, a floor above my own quarters. I find it impossible to recall a time of it being in use, but it must have been at one point in the not too distant past. The light switches are fairly modern, the ornamental table by the stairs is still home to some magazines less than two decades old and, having explored the wing thoroughly at one point during my teenage years as an escape from my anxieties, I know that it houses a very comfortably equipped bedroom, bathroom and study. The most remarkable fixture that would probably give many a historian an aneurism is the passenger lift fitted by the stairs. Small but clearly still serviceable, its door is locked by a key kept safe by Kai. It is only used when things need moved from the art gallery on the ground floor to the store room I'm seeking, the lift bypassing the first floor and going no higher.

I am forever grateful that no one ever felt the need to lock the door to the old storeroom.

The design on the oaken panelling before me is simple and minimalistic, a bold shield containing a single flower, its petals sharp. It always reminds me of a sword. Purple and green give the door a dark, brooding air. I push past it, my eyes hungry for the sights behind it. The room never disappoints. The shuttered windows barely let in the late spring sunshine enough for the paintings lining the walls to be seen. I flick a switch, my heart warming at the warm tones on the walls. This is one of the few places where clutter and chaos don't put me ill at ease. Things hardly ever get moved here. The haphazard piles of frames, canvas and parchment littering the floor and tables are a sign of the room's past and no more. Wide chests of drawers are home to blueprints, family trees and legal documents as well as portraits, landscapes and inked studies. An old, damaged suit of armour sits in the corner, collecting dust.

My gloved fingers gently brush at the draping covering some of the paintings on the walls. The most recent one in here is a portrait of mother and father. I can still make out the medals on father's military uniform, and the circlet on mother's head through the black gauze. I quickly divert my gaze. Their absence still causes my heart to clench, even if it is only a dull and lonesome ache now. Having their portrait here instead of in the main entrance helps me to move on a bit, knowing that if I need to talk to my memories of them, they are here, waiting.

The pictures I am looking for, however, are much older, on the wall furthest from both door and window. As I glide nearer, my thoughts drift back to the day my father found me, cross-legged on the floor before them, eyes wide and searching as I gazed upon the likeness before me. Even though they should probably remain covered, in deference to their age, the two portraits I seek have their draping swept up and held back. I never have the heart to cover them. The woman in them haunts me, her skin slightly blue and her eyes striking. They are like my own.

I recall the hesitation in my father's voice as he spotted me in this room, the shift to a more sad understanding tone as he came to sit next to me. He asked me what I was doing there. Instead of answering I just asked the obvious question.

"Who was she?"

The bigger of the two portraits, an impressive canvas in oils, shows a young woman, as regal as a queen, a silver crown atop a head of spiky midnight black hair. There's a confident curl to her lips, a commanding point to her brow. One hand is raising a sceptre up high, light bursting around it in the artist's attempt to show its power. It is her other hand, however, that always draws my eye. Resting idly on the arm of a throne, fingers outstretched as it nudges a golden orb, the area immediately beneath the hand appears to glint and sparkle... It is the same as the floorboards had been under my own hands that day, as my father answered my query.

"No one really knows who she was anymore..." His voice was soft as he hesitantly placed a hand on my shoulder. I was at the age where I had started fearing contact, where my parent's touch brought as much anxiety as it did comfort. "I can tell you what she was."

I raised my eyes expectantly towards his. Even now I can remember the pain, worry, but also loving trust that seemed to fill them.

"She was the last queen of Arendelle. Her reign lasted a week, so they say, but her legacy lived on for much longer. You know the tale of the Snow Queen?"

I smirk sardonically at the recollection, eyeing up the legend depicted before me. She is a strange one, this unnamed queen.

"She was one of our ancestors, back in the early eighteen hundreds. Her name has been redacted from the records but... What we do know, is that she had ice powers, just like yours."

Tears fill my eyes now. All twenty years of my life I have been the only one I have ever met to have magical powers over ice and snow. What once seemed to be a wonderful blessing has since proven to be a curse. Seeing that poster in Anna's room was just another reminder of what I am. I am an anomaly, an aberration, a legend born again. The only other magical person I can even get close to relating with is an unnamed relative, her likeness frozen on canvas and parchment, centuries of distance keeping us apart.

My eyes turn to the second, much smaller and more informal portrait. The parchment has yellowed quite a lot over the years, the flesh tone used once again turned blue with age. Whereas the big framed canvas showed her as queen, this piece was an insight into the snow queen as a person.

She looks happy, despite the tears in her eyes.

I wonder why this artist, clearly a different one from the canvas, less experienced but more involved with the subject, chose to depict her so. There is some writing above a signature so elaborate I cannot read it, but what words I can make out seem to say "I miss you, sis."

I can never put into words what this second picture makes me feel. I can say what it makes me stop feeling. My feelings of loneliness, fear and alienation evaporate. Something warm and welcome fills my chest, reminiscent of some long forgotten memory I can't quite place. All I know is that it gives me hope. It gives me the courage to leave the room, not a cold breeze to be felt, and face the day.


	2. Snowsuit

The camera jumps about as the window before it is carefully pulled open. The footage is grainy, the lens having trouble translating the dark shadows of the night scene into shapes and colours. Streetlights flare with a halo of white light, regularly distracting from the action unfolding below.

"There she is!" The cameraman whispers, his voice high-pitched and raspy with excitement. "That's snowsuit girl down there..."

The video zooms into a shape in white, the small slender silhouette of a woman. Her snowsuit with black accents has a hood that hides her face from view, an occasional wisp of red hinting at long hair. She doesn't stay still long enough for the camera to sharpen the image. If she stops moving, chances are that it would be for good. In front of her there is a burly man, face red and voice loud, something sharp glinting in his raised hand; the slurs he shouts out clearly irk the cameraman, but the filming continues uninterrupted.

"Wait for it..." The background voice holds its breath a moment as the knife wielding assailant swipes down and lunges. The girl dodges, her limbs blurring. "There!"

The angry man's voice is cut short as he collapses to the ground. For the first time since the start of the film, the girl is still, her shoulders heaving with exertion. The camera zooms in as far as it can, catching, for the briefest of moments a glance at the woman's eyes as she surveys the area. She then heaves the unconscious thug to the side of the alley, before jogging away, a cellular device appearing in her hand.

"And there you have it folks! Arendelle's very own vigilante." The camera has now turned to face its wielder, the young man's face backlit into darkness, a toothy grin flashing. "Snow-Girl's number 1 Fan signing out."

* * *

_**Snowsuit** _

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

"Wow... That is..." The brunette waves her hand in the air, clearly trying to grasp something in her mind. "What is the word? Ah yes... Very cool!"

"Innit just, eh?" Her companion's broad smile is reaching from ear to ear as she brushes back some unruly locks. As always, it takes me a moment to adjust to her broad accent. Her vowels always sound slightly off to my educated ears, but definitely full of charm. "We got tae show Elsa..."

"God Morgen, Rapunzel, Merida." I greet them in my mother tongue, before switching to the English tongue they share. "What is this you want to show me?"

They're both sat along one of the back pews of the university's lecture theatre room 102. There are still fifteen minutes left before we can expect our lecturer mister Thorston to come in, long drawn face in his permanent gurn as he tries to recall whether its social science or psychology he's teaching today. Sometimes he gets it wrong, much to the amusement of some of the rowdier students. Most of the latter like to come in late, just to throw him off, then take front row seats to witness his embarrassment. Rapunzel, Merida and I, however, much prefer to get in early and avoid the fuss for varying reasons...

My motivations are obvious. I don't like drawing attention to myself, and I like to work hard, always have done. It's a hard balance to find when you have teachers who can't project their voice and classrooms full of gregarious folk, but thankfully, the Social Studies course I'm on isn't that well attended and, bar exceptions like Rapunzel and Merida, most of the students leave me well alone.

I give Rapunzel a small smile as Merida taps her iphone and tilts the screen for my viewing. As my eyes take in the night scene video, a small glance to the left confirms my suspicions and I cup my hand over my mouth to hide a small smirk. The German student has already kicked her shoes off, small pink feet stretching beneath the desk before her. She eyes my reaction to the video as avidly as Merida does, so I quickly return my focus to it.

It takes me a moment to realize exactly what it is that they are showing me.

"Isn't that by the bakery, the one behind the City Hall?" I query, recognizing the distinctive brickwork of our civic centre in the background.

"Ha! I knew it was there!" The brunette bounces happily in her seat.

"I was certain it was by the police station..." Merida's mutter is ignored as I resume my viewing and Rapunzel smirks.

I feel a strong anxiety seize my chest as I watch the woman in the white overalls face her aggressor. She's quick on her feet and keen to disarm him, palms flying dangerously at his wrist, face and neck. This doesn't stop me picturing my younger sibling in her position, their lithe build so similar. There's something volatile and angry in the fleeting glimpse the camera gets of the woman's face, but also hurt and lonely. The filming man's commentary makes me realize that this isn't the first time this woman's been seen performing such feats on the streets... And it terrifies me.

How can the cameraman just sit there filming? Why doesn't he call the police or go out there himself? What if that Snowsuit Girl hadn't dodged the knife, would the fool have thought to phone for an ambulance then?

I taste the cold on my tongue and shiver, my hands hugging my stomach as I fight the ice threatening to spill forth. I take a deep breath and swallow as the video concludes. The Scottish girl turns her blue eyes expectantly to mine, Rapunzel's own green eyes twinkling with curiosity behind her.

"Soo? Whad'dya think?"

I peer at Merida with the same bewildered feeling the girl has always given me. Even in the dimmed lighting of the lecture theatre her hair seems alight with flame, her round face the picture of confidence and courage. Her friendship was forced upon me following a fire drill earlier on in the year, and though I do not resent or seek it out, I have no idea why. When I ask, she just laughs, and claims to like my fearlessness and calm demeanour. "Ye remind me a wee bitty o' me ma'."

If she could read my thoughts right now, I'm sure her mental image of me would be shattered.

"I..." I what? I wish that the crime spate going through Arendelle right now weren't so bad as to incite citizens to take matters into their own hands? To a girl as stubborn and rebellious as Merida, that would just sound like an endorsement. I sigh. "I think..."

I glance at Rapunzel, looking for support or inspiration. Her head is tilted as she taps a rhythm on the carpeted floor with her toes, a slight hum beneath her breath. Suddenly I picture her before the brute in the video, her petite silhouette dwarfed by his brawn and I bite my lip. It is not a pleasant picture. I need out.

"I think I forgot my notebook in the car, I will be back shortly." It's a lie. The notepad and pen are in my satchel, but I need to find some place to be alone before I slip up. Even though I appreciate the trust and companionship they give me, I cannot inflict my secret upon them, not even by accident. Before they can respond I am already half way to the door.

"Huh," I hear Merida say. "She didnae like it, eh?"

"Hm..." Rapunzel shrugs, her voice thoughtful. I see her out of the corner of my eye, catching a glimpse of my hands desperately twisting at their gloves. "Elsa has here all her life lived... It must be..."

Whatever she was away to say is lost as I close the door behind me. Within seconds I have abandoned my slow walk in favour of a quick jog, hugging my satchel close to my chest. Lecture theatre 102; now if I recall correctly... Yes, there it is. I hurtle past a startled looking Mister Thorston, before pushing open the door to the ladies bathroom. Relieved to find all the cubicles empty, I lock myself in one and rest my head upon the door. Only now do I allow my magic to seep out, my breath covering the poster before me in frost, the crackling of ice forming at my feet.

I let out a sad chuckle. Had my emotions not been so raw from Anna going to school alone this morning, that video wouldn't have been anywhere near so distressing. I'd have probably just raised an eyebrow and made some sarcastic remark about it being possibly staged or badly filmed. As things are now, though, I'm stood angrily wiping away at teary eyes. I'm furious with myself. I let that video get me this worked up all over one small, stupid detail.

That girl's snowsuit is identical to one I used to wear whenever we went on skiing break...

And I haven't worn it since my parents died.

* * *

**Anna Gyllenblom**

At Arendelle High school, Anna's day is dragging on.

It really doesn't help that when, inevitably, she drifts off to sleep in class, (and she doesn't mean to: she knows it is beyond rude, she just desperately needs to rest her eyelids a couple of seconds, honest,) the teachers notice, waking her up with a sharp rap on her desk or ask her a pointed question to test her awareness. All it does is to embarrass her further, to the point where the colour of her face matches her hair as they catch her dozing off once more.

By early afternoon, after too short a nap at lunch, Anna feels just about ready to take a leaf out of Jack's book and skip a class... but she doesn't. Anna is a Gyllenblom and proud. Her sister is Countess of Arendelle's oldest castle, and her mother was a royal princess of Norway. The blood in her veins runs blue in all but actual colour, and she wants to make her family proud... Even if right now that's just Elsa, the sister whose company she yearns for, yet who Anna brushes off when she offers her some prime sibling bonding time, all for the sake of... the sake of what exactly?

Ugh, she just can't think straight. Thank goodness there's a free period before the history lesson at the end of the day. A short nap there, good use of the propped up chin and book combo in missus Kantenavsky's class, and she'd be good to go. She's eager for the day to end. The red head smiles warmly at the thought. She promised to meet up with Kristoff after class, and they have a lot of catching up to do.

She needs to tell him all about southern-isles13.

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

"Hey, Elsa! Please wait!"

I hold in a sigh and instead plaster a polite smile on my face. My jaw feels so tight that I'm sure the smile is barely noticeable, but I humour the young woman running up to me. It's not often Rapunzel makes the effort to speak Norwegian with me when she knows that my English is fluent enough. If she's really stuck in class, she'll sometimes call upon my slightly sketchier knowledge of her mother tongue German to make up for her stilted understanding of mine. In exchange she has helped brighten up many a day with her quirkiness and kind, attentive nature. She knows full well that I value my space, and that there are days where I really do just want to be left in peace...

As always though, she's surprisingly perceptive. For her to chase me to my car and forgo English, she knows that I'm in more than a solitary mood.

"So-sorry," she stutters as she comes to a stop next to me. "I... Elsa, what worries you? You..." Flailing with her hands at a loss for a word, she scrunches up her brow and points a finger at the wrinkles between. "Like this, all day... And you never smiled when old Sneezepot... Ack..." Frustrated at her lack of vocabulary, she switches to English, apologetically. I'm a touch grateful though, her accent was getting thicker the more she fought with her words, and her scrunched up eyebrows were a huge distraction.

"You are not yourself today..." Rapunzel says, her shoulders sagging and her big doe eyes freezing me to the spot. There's no way the twenty year old before me doesn't realize just how disarming that look is.

"I..." My left hand scrunches up around the handle of my satchel, as I let the gloved fingers of my right slide down the window pane of my car. There's no chill in the leather just now. I'm tired from worrying. Slightly empty inside, all I want to do is go catch Anna as she leaves her school and try and salvage what I can of the day. "I don't want to talk about it..."

"Och, don't be like that." Merida's rumbling tones startle me, and I snap my free hand back to my chest as I hiss out a breath only to realize it is but her. She too is speaking in Norwegian now, something she only does when she feels the situation warrants it. Despite her mastery of the Scandinavian tongue being surprisingly good, the Scottish woman much prefers to goof around and laugh at our confusion whenever her native dialect catches us out. "Rapunzel is right. You've been twisting yourself into knots all day. What's bothering you?"

The short, fiery haired student leans nonchalantly against her taller flatmate while biting into an apple, her turquoise jacket sliding off her shoulder as she eyes me sharply. Despite her lack of aquiline features, she's incredibly reminiscent of a hawk when she scowls like that. It's at times like these that I think the twenty year old Scot can see right through me. I bite my lip and keep quiet.

"Ach!" Bringing her palm to her forehead, Merida lets out some foreign swear as she swings her arms out. "It's your sister, isn't it? Darn it, I never thought about that when I showed you that video this morning."

"Oh!" Catching on to Merida's meaning, Rapunzel thumps her palm, muttering in German something about it all making sense.

I surrender. Clearly they've spent too much time around me if I'm so easy to read. I lean back against my BMW, allowing my forced smile to slip at last and showing them exactly how tired and sad and worried I feel.

"Yes." I say simply. "My sister was cycling to school this morning and what with the crime spate mentioned on the radio this morning, of course I worry."

"...Crime spate?" Rapunzel queries, confusion settling in once more upon her usually bright features.

"Ya really should watch the news maer of'en, Punzy'." Merida quips in their trademark English. She continues on in her more polished Norwegian. "So, are you going to go pick her up then?"

"I am sure she is fine and safe," Rapunzel's smile is sincere as she offers her reassurances. "You can tell her how Mister Sneezepot Oswald broke the projector. She will laugh."

Merida snickers as she recalls the incident in the third lecture of the day. Thinking back on it myself, I imagine Anna's likely reaction to the tale of one of Mister Oswald's most dramatic sneezes to date and smile. Trust these two girls to make the stress and worry evaporate from my shoulders, if only briefly. It's nice to be reminded that there's a reason I put up with their aggressive companionship...

"Thanks, I will." Nodding politely at the two, I open the car door and get into the driver's seat. The red head catches the frame before I can shut it however. "Yes?"

"Hey, by the way..." Merida seems a little uncertain, doubt something strange to see on her fair features. She's switched back to her approximation of English, clearly too uncomfortable to ask in any other language. "Ye are coming oot wi' us on Friday, yes? ...Fer ma bir'day?"

I hold back a groan that has nothing to do with my usual worries. The two girls are constantly trying to get me to go out with them in town for some outing or other. I don't think I've even humoured them with the prospect more than once or twice, but they still keep asking... The Scottish woman had been particularly clever in how she first asked me, a couple of days back, to join them, or should I say forceful.

She threatened to bring her brothers to my castle for a visit when they arrived on the Saturday if I didn't agree. From the terrifying tales she tells of the triplets, the mere prospect of them in Arendelle castle is horrifying. I fight back the mental image of three eight-year old ragamuffins, hair as wild and curly as their sister's, swinging from chandeliers and bursting through walls unannounced. Now even more eager to get away, I decide to placate her for the time being.

"I'll think about it."

And with that, she allows me to close the door, the two waving as I drive off.

* * *

**Anna Gyllenblom**

Finally, finally classes are over! Chewing on a snack she has purchased from one of the too few vending machines on the school grounds, Anna hops out of Missus Kantenavsky's class with a distinctively brighter spring in her step. She startles a few of her classmates and younger students as she twirls past them towards the bike shed, her bag swinging wide from her other hand. She hops up onto the small wall nearby, skipping a little before jumping back onto the brickwork ground, a song in her heart and a twinkle in her eye. Anna grins.

By the time Jack's caught a glimpse of her she's already cycling away down towards the port, a quick and energetic wave of her hand flung in his direction. Caught by surprise as she cut off his path, he smirks. Adjusting his satchel from which a can of spray paint threatened to spill, he shakes his head. Chuckling he hollers after her.

"Be careful out there, princess!"

"I'm always careful," she mutters, only feeling the slightest twinge of guilt for hiding such a big secret. It isn't exactly keeping safe what she's been up to.

She slows down near one of the old public toilets not far from one of the more touristy quays. She latches her bike onto a decorative fence, lock securely through its front wheel. She saunters into one of the cubicles, patiently waits for the nearby occupant to vacate and then pulls out a white garment.

"Show time!" Unfurling it from its neatly folded square, she holds up the snowsuit for inspection. There are a few scuffmarks along the legs and elbows, a bit of mud by the feet and a small rip along one arm, but overall it still looks fairly clean. For this she is grateful. She hadn't planned an outing last night, but out she had been. That assailant had been particularly rough to face, but she had gotten good information from him and nothing felt better than knowing she'd prevented him from harming another.

As she forces her booted feet into the suit, she pulls out her phone and finds the email from that morning, a warm smile on her face.

"Thanks for stopping that knife jerk for us, Snowgirl.

Couldn't have done it without you.

\- S.I. 13"

A warm glow spreads across her cheeks. Shaking her head to focus back on the present, Anna puts the phone in one of the suit's many pockets before snaking her arms into its sleeves. Her fingers catch at the tear, making her realize just how deep it went and how very close to drawing blood the fiend had been. She lets out a low hiss. That is quite a few layers to mend by hand. Thank goodness she's had enough practice with a needle and thread to do it herself. Asking Gerda would be overly awkward, and Kristoff would be no good at that sort of thing. She has no time to do it now though, even if she does have a sewing kit in her satchel (which is a must for someone so prone to ruining their clothes by accident). The afore-thought of Kristoff must be growing impatient.

Stowing her satchel away in the cleaner's locker with the spare key Kristoff has procured for her, she exits the bathroom, but not without stopping to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror first.

Before her stands a young woman, stark black and charcoal markings breaking up the monotony of white fabric, the heavy material fitting snugly to her forms. Her hood is up, its cord is drawn taught enough for it not to fall back on its own. Anna notices that one of her braids is out, making a wave of nostalgia surge through her despite its dark colour.

She used to love watching Elsa ski down the slopes in this outfit. Whenever their parents would take them to the skiing lodge on the north mountain, her older sister would don the suit and skis at the crack of dawn. She had a knack for speeding across the snow. Her movements were fluid and dance like. Anna fingers the embroidered snowflake on her breast, the pearly white threads barely visible on the white Gore-Tex. It still stings to remember how she'd acquired her sister's skiing outfit from the bins, shortly after their parents' deaths. She couldn't bear to let it go, not when she had so many memories of watching her sister in this suit, battling the elements like the hero Anna always thought of her as.

Elsa is always so brave, whether it is in the face of creepy crawlies being thrust down the back of her dress by her juvenile sibling or before the prospect of taking over the running of the family estate. Anna can't remember ever seeing the Countess of Gyllenblom, a title her sister wore so well, show any sign of fear.

To Anna, she's every bit like the superheroes she loves to read about, and watches on television. The embroidered snowflake could just as well have been the symbol of the x-men as far as the red-head was concerned. It's why Anna's taken to wearing her sister's old suit. Anna doesn't feel brave or fearless, but she wants that to change. Patrolling the streets, fighting criminals thanks to the martial arts lessons she's taken since she was a child, it helps her feel braver, stronger.

It helps her feel closer to Elsa.

A small honking sound diverts her focus back to the phone in her pocket, followed by a chime. Pulling out her smart phone, she notices an email and a text message, the latter probably from Kristoff. Opening up the email she notices that it's from southern-isles13.

There's a criminal on the loose again... And according to the coordinates they're not far from Anna's position at all.

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

I pull up to Arendelle High school just in time to see Anna cycling off into the distance. I groan as I notice that she's taken the route down towards the port as opposed to the one leading along the coast towards our home's drive. What strange venture has my sibling got in mind? I spot one of her friends through the window, a boy whose name I can't recall, but whose white hair on the photos Anna has shown me from school parties has left an impression. I manage to catch his gaze as he walks up to the pedestrian crossing at which I'm stopped. He smiles warmly as I roll down my window.

"Hey..." He says simply, catching the hockey stick he'd been twirling.

"Do you know where Anna's headed?" I ask, trying to keep my voice from shaking. The swarm of high school students around us is a bit off-putting, and I can't help but wonder if somehow Anna was deliberately avoiding me.

"Dunno," the boy shrugs. "I know she likes to go to a martial arts class down that way, but it's usually only on Thursdays. Perhaps she's meeting a mate."

I bite my lip in thought. Is it really worth me trying to go after her? Part of me feels ridiculous, chasing after Anna when she's clearly perfectly happy without me around. I'm being over protective. I'm getting worked up about nothing.

Yet why can't I get that video the girls showed me out of my head?

"Why don't you try her phone?"

Startled, I ask the boy to repeat himself. Something in my expression must have prompted his response, but I have no idea what.

"Her phone? She's always got it on her. Give it a ring."

"I..." A car toots behind me, urging me to move on now that the crossing's clear. "Thanks..."

"Jack." He gives me a small wave and turns down a side street, leaving me to get the car back into gear. I'm not allowed to look at his gangly figure long before I have to focus back on the road, but I am truly grateful for his suggestion. Maybe giving Anna a phone would help.

Unlike Anna, Merida and others our age though, I have no great enthusiasm for modern gadgets, much preferring to rely upon pen and paper. My fingers are always too cold for touch screens anyway, and I find my mobile phone is only used in emergencies... I'm not even certain I have Anna's number in its directory, the old beat-up Nokia a tool I associate more with work around Arendelle Castle and the odd call to Gerda and Kai when I find myself having too bad a day to drive back home.

It is as I ponder all this that I make my way down to the port, stopping at the side of a pedestrian road down which I caught a glimpse of Anna's bright coloured coat and bike. Parking the motor, I close the door decisively and lock it. My eyes glaze over as I look out at the Fjord. From here I can see the quay Mama and Papa's boat left from, a small vessel heading to Denmark for a royal wedding, doomed never to reach its destination.

I shudder as I am suddenly acutely aware of the strong breeze blowing across the waters. We may be well into spring, but there is no warmth in the air tonight. I pull my thin dress jacket closed and cross my arms in an attempt to remind myself what heat feels like. I don't mind the cold itself, but dark thoughts certainly give me a longing for the kind of warmth that I haven't truly felt since I was a young pre-teen.

Turning away from the waters, I remind myself why I am here and start walking along the pedestrian avenue. There aren't many people about, café chairs remaining stacked as they await the warmer tourist season. It's still too early in the day for Arendelle's nightlife, the sun still gliding above the tall hills and mountains around us. A few kids are walking their dog, a man is tinkering with his motorbike, and one of the shop owners is out giving his windows a scrub. I crease my brow at the lack of purple anorak. I was certain I saw Anna come down this way. Maybe she went into a shop?

I check out a few, wringing my hands as I find each one empty but for a politely smiling owner or patron. I've walked up and down a few merchant roads before going down a dark alley to check out a small café... Maybe she was meeting a friend over a cup of hot cocoa? I keep cycling through Rapunzel and Merida's reassurances in my head. I try to forget the radio broadcast from the morning, the video on the Scottish lass's iphone. I tell myself that if Anna was really going to do anything dangerous, her friend Jack would probably stop her. I'm only a few doors down from the Café when I stop, turn to face the fjord, my forehead in my hands as I force myself to stop and breathe. Panicking won't do me any good and...

I snap my head up at the sight of her bike. There it is, down by the public toilets on the quay. It is chained to one of the bike holding fences there. It has to be her bike. I start walking down towards it, deaf to a sudden commotion occurring behind me. It is only when someone grabs me around the throat that the thought occurs to me to look around.

"Don't move!" A harsh voice shouts in my ear. Not that I could if I wanted to. Whoever it is has a strong grip. Disorientated by the sudden intervention, it takes a moment for the blood to start rushing through my heart, frustration at being held, at being touched against my will beating strong. This had better not be some idle prank. If this is Anna's doing...

And then I see the metal object flick into view briefly before something sharp and cold is pressed under my chin.

"I said don't move!" The voice barks once more, female but rough and hoarse, as though it belongs to someone ill... Yet they speak with such strength, such intent that mirrors the steely desperation with which they keep me from slipping away despite the best efforts of my gloved hands. Forcefully they swing me around to face another, a figure in white that I barely spare a glance at. The interloper's grip is strangling me. I can't breathe, and it is for more than lack of air...

I can feel it rushing, faster than a heartbeat, building up for release, sharp and painful. I can't, I won't allow that to happen. Fuelled by the same fear that is channelling my ice, I fight, I struggle. I mustn't let it out. Not here, not now... I don't care that it wants to fight off my assailant for me. If I allow it, then someone might die.

I would never be able to live with myself if that happened.

I hear shouting. Some of it might even be my own. I feel something hot stinging at my jaw. I ignore it, intent on breaking free, blind to all else but the glimmer I spy at my feet. Curses... It's already icing up the pavement.

A blur of white streaked with coal flashes across my vision. I hear a nasty thud as my aggressor and I both lose our footing on the now slippery ground. At last they let go. I fall onto my side, hard. Stars fill my eyes from the shock but I can breathe again. I fill my lungs with deep gulps of air colder than I'd like. The tide in my veins stills, but it does not recede. More frost is bound to come.

"Elsa?" Someone gasps. I recognize the voice, I think. Twisting around I search for Anna only to see a silhouette that looks familiar but out of place; that white snow suit...

Before I've finished connecting the dots, my aggressor is back on their feet, a figure in red and black swearing loudly as they clear the patch of black ice, their pen knife left behind. The snow girl, the very same one as in Merida's video, bites back a curse and gives chase, glancing wearily behind her at a commotion up the street.

My blood runs cold as I recognize the uniforms. Two policemen are running down towards us. They might ask questions. I can't cope with questions right now. My hand cupped to the pain on my jaw, I leap up and glide off the ice, running in turn. Thankfully, the officers chase after the other two.

My nerves frazzled and on edge, I find a dark passageway to hide in, praying that there's still enough warmth in the late afternoon sunlight to melt the frost I've left on the street. I know that the patch forming on the wall behind me is going to take a long time to thaw. It seems like ages before I can start to think clearly, though I'm still shaking. There's no way I can drive in this state, but I need to get home. I pull out my mobile phone, praying that my gloves will protect it long enough for a short call. The dial and ring tone seem to take forever. The deftness with which the call is answered is nearly too normal and homely for me, but all the more welcome for it.

"Kai..."

My voice must have been shaky, for he seems to understand everything from my tone. A sharp intake of breath is all he allows himself before replying.

"Where shall I pick you up from, Marm?"

"Northern quay." I pause for a minute, weighing my options, biting my lip. "By the BMW."

If there's any confusion, he'll be able to use the GPS tracker from the car. It'll have to do.

"I'll be there in five minutes." Good. That is good.

I put the phone away, frowning at the little flowers of frost forming on its casing. My hands are still shaking, but thankful there is no more ice spreading from my feet.

As I make my way back to the car, I'm unsure whether I'm glad or not to see that the bike I thought was Anna's is gone.


	3. Iceman

The young police inspector stares down at the report in his hands. There isn't a lot in it.

"So, they got away." He glances up at the two officers before him. The sergeant has her arms crossed. Her blond hair is cropped short but still has a fringe long enough to just about obscure her glower at the floor. Her partner, a strong jawed man with a dark quiff and five o'clock shadow looks sheepish. Arching his eyebrow their superior prompts. "Got any leads to go from there?"

"They dropped their hat?" Officer Scott offers, his thick brows rising optimistically. Yes, a hat is really useful evidence... If only they had any suspects to link the theft to, the inspector scowls.

"As always, that snowsuit vigilante got away too..." Sergeant Calhoun's distaste for the young girl interfering in police matters of late is common knowledge. The inspector keeps his face neutral. As far as he is concerned, the civilian vigilante hasn't committed any crimes, and though Snowgirl's propensity for getting in harm's way is problematic, he's not going to deny that she does help on occasion when the force is slow to respond.

"You mention in this report... a bystander?" Putting the report on the desk, the young man leans forward, his crisp suit creaking as he taps the paragraph in question. Sergeant Calhoun is always rigorous and concise. She doesn't mention something if she doesn't think it possibly relevant. "Why is this of notice?"

"I... We think our criminal may have threatened them, Sir. That snowsuit girl clearly paused in her chase of our target when she saw them."

"By the time we reached the scene, our thief was already running off ahead." Scott pipes in his tone helpful. "We returned later but the bystander was gone. There was blood on the ground." He points to the attached print-out of a snap. It shows wet red brick cobblestones with a hint of frost, black splatters immediately drawing on the Inspector's knowledge of such evidence. Knife wound, shallow, blood falling from just over five feet down to floor level.

"Find them." He stands, emphasizing his order by slamming his palms onto the desk. "Find the bystander. They might be our best chance at IDing the thief."

"Yes sir." The two salute as he leaves the office. They only briefly glance at each other, uncertain as to where to begin. They'll find a way though. The inspector tends to expect results.

* * *

_**Iceman** _

* * *

**Anna Gyllenblom**

Anna bites back a swearword. They got away. That woman, messy red hair and black anorak flapping in the breeze, got away from her. That... that... Words fail her flailing mind as she recalls the chase.

Snowgirl, Anna finds the villain leaving the local Jewellers, as the email promised. She doesn't need to go in to see the counter assistant clutching at streak of red along their arm. She can still see the knife in the woman's hand as she hauls a large bag full of jewels in her other arm.

It doesn't take Anna long to kick the jewels out of her grasp. The would-be jewel thief, up to that point distracted as she cleaned and sheathed her blade, jumps. With a glance at the snow suited girl, her arm still stinging from the kick that unburdened her, the criminal quickly takes in the situation.

"Shit!" The woman croaks, her breath reeking of alcohol in the short moment she remains before Anna.

"Why do they never surrender?" The vigilante mutters as she begins the chase. The thief starts running so quickly that her wide brim black hat, clearly her method of disguise for the heist, flutters off. Anna is never gladder for how fit her cycling keeps her, though as she pumps her legs up and down she feels the burning start earlier, probably due to a slack in form from her recently enforced car rides. Strong breaths, Anna, remember.

She doesn't expect the villain to take a hostage. In the dead of night, when Snowgirl normally patrols, there aren't any bystanders to take hostage. She certainly didn't expect...

"Elsa?"

The gasp had come unbidden; a slip out of character upon recognising her sister, and it was heartbreaking. Prim and proper Elsa, Countess of Gyllenblom, undergraduate at Arendelle University and heiress to the Gyllenblom estate and castle, had just been held at knife point by this dishevelled hag... It is too much; it is far too much for Anna to comprehend.

For the first time in her life, Anna sees fear flash in her older sibling's eyes, if only for a moment.

Thankfully, her sister manages to slip out from the unnamed woman's grip. The usual look of collected calm returns to Elsa's features allowing Anna to return her focus on the assailant. Like hell is Snowgirl going to let that witch get away.

The strange glimmering light of sunset makes the cobbles sparkle as she runs after her up hill, the police officers southern-isles13 mentioned coming as back up finally making an appearance... Normally she would let them take on the chase and slip away. This is what they are paid to do, after all. Not this time though, this time it's personal.

"Stop!" She breathes, upon seeing the fiend before her cackle with glee. A car has pulled up on the road before them, the driver short and round and obscured by the dwindling light.

"So long, suckers!" The banshee shrieks as she clambers into the beat up red automobile. It screeches off with the sound of burning rubber as Anna fights to catch her breath.

She hears one of the police officers shouting into their handsets. Darn it, she needs to run.

She sprints to one of the safe places nearby. Southern Isles told her to avoid any prolonged contact with the officers. They'll want answers, testimonies, a name and an address. She huddles down in a cul-de-sac nearby, a bright white snowflake spray painted on the wall behind her. She doesn't know who marks the walls with the nice clean symbol, but she finds that they invariable make for a good temporary refuge... Hidden behind the bins, she clasps her arms tightly, fury burning inside her, the image of Elsa hurt, bleeding, etched into her eyelids.

And she let the villain get away.

Snowgirl failed.

She hears the beginnings of a jingle, five taps amongst a mess of piano notes. It is one of her favourite songs since childhood, one she always sung in an attempt to get Elsa's attention. It is also her ring tone.

Eyes damp as she feels the usual heartbreak, no duller after a decade of failed attempts and false hopes, Anna reaches for the handset in her pocket. Now is not the time to mope about how Elsa never seems to want to spend time with her. Putting on a brave face, she answers.

"Hello?"

"Anna! Don't you ever reply to text messages? Where are you!?"

Hearing the gruff upset tone of her friend, she chokes out a chuckle.  
"Kristoff..."

"No seriously, where are you?" The man's insulted tone mellows into one of actual concern. "I've just seen two police cars speeding past, all sirens blaring. Are you okay?"

"I..." Anna's can-do, positive attitude vanishes. She's not okay. She can't pretend. She pulls back her hood in order to feel some fresh air. Her voice replies shakily. "My sister got assaulted Kristoff. The attacker got away."

"I'll be right there..." His voice sounds warm down the phone, and gives Anna some form of comfort. "Now if you'll tell me where...?"

"Heh..." She had forgotten to say. "I'm by the bins behind the Ice Cream Parlour... and Kristoff? Thank you."

"No problem."

He hangs up, but already Anna is feeling a lot warmer inside. Gods Snowgirl missed her Iceman. She tries to think about his imminent arrival and not to wonder...

Will Elsa even tell her about the incident when she gets home tonight? Why was she even down by the port? She can't have...

"Dammit," Elsa was looking for her. "It's my fault... again."

The wall smarts dully against her skull as she thuds her head back. Why is Anna such a coward, such a fool?

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

I know by the look Kai gives me as I get out of the car that I look awful. I know by the way it stings continuously throughout the drive that it is not easily passed as a scratch. The growing red colour of the handkerchief our manservant gave me is a testament to how deep the cut actually was. I'm just glad it isn't any deeper.

I shiver at the thought that it could have been.

The hand I hold against my jaw is cold as ice, numbing some of the pain and preventing much of the swelling. It is an involuntary reflex, one that in any other company I would try to hide. Kai has known me too long for the charade to be worth holding up; besides, he always has the decency to look away. He never asks. It is an unspoken agreement between us, ever since I was a child. No questions, no looks, just quick and efficient assistance as and when required. It is the same with Gerda. I am deeply indebted to them both. Although it would be nice to have someone to talk to about my powers, especially since mother and father passed away, their quiet acceptance makes the hardest days that much more manageable. Their calm and knowledgeable foresight also helps prevent any situation from getting needlessly icy.

A wry smile finds its way onto my face as Kai opens the door before me, waving away my attempt to return the handkerchief now that most of the bleeding has stopped.

"We'll get you cleaned up in the bathroom upstairs." His tone is proper, but his eyes show the considerable worry he's trying not to let on. It doesn't help the mental image I'm fighting, the memory of Anna gushing about some superhero to me reinforcing it.

"Batman would be nothing without Alfred!" My ginger sister exclaimed, halfway through her main course one evening. "Every super hero needs a butler, a confident. Someone they can trust with their secrets and who'll patch them up when things get tough."

How old had she been then... fourteen, fifteen maybe? But her comment stays with me, every now and then amusing me in times of duress, when inevitably Kai or Gerda steps up to be my Alfred. I'm no superhero, no masked vigilante, but it sure is nice knowing there's someone who's got your back.

My jaw twinges again, my heart-warming reminiscing distracting enough to stop the ice forming in my hand. I grimace, unwillingly adding to the discomfort. With deft hands and a manner that broaches no argument, Kai guides me to the first aid kit he has in mind. I vaguely remember being told he was once my father's batman, back when they both served in the army. It certainly explains his dexterity with the firearms he once taught me to use safely.

"This might hurt..." He says, using a sponge to wash the worse of the dirt off my face.

And it does, but not as much as the thought that I won't be able to share dinner with Anna tonight. I... I'm still too emotionally drained to successfully contain my powers, especially around a worried sister. The last time Anna saw me with a plaster, her concern was overwhelming. Gauze is going to be a lot harder to explain away than a paper cut.

The bathroom tiles are already acquiring a small covering of rime as I unwillingly think back on the incident. I take a deep breath. I owe it to Kai to maintain a minimum of composure. Though I can't stop the shivers...

* * *

**Anna Gyllenblom**

Kristoff, the darling Kristoff, he comes and he helps her back to her feet. She missed his grumpy shrugs, his fleeting smile. There's not much smiling, understandably, as he walks her back to where she chained her bike. He steadies her as they find a patch of slippery brick underfoot, never missing a beat of her explanation, his leather jacket on her shoulders in an attempt to hide her conspicuous snowsuit. Her arms wave wide and large as she babbles on, random details of today's events slipping out in hushed whispers, Kristoff's dog following her movements with his head as they grab her things from the cleaner's locker. She finishes up the tale how she answered his phone call as they start pushing the bike towards their favoured spot.

The original plan of leaving the bike by the public toilet to patrol the town together is firmly ditched. Anna's just not in the mood any more.

"So hang on a sec'," the blond man says, his gruff hand fiddling with one of the crystals around his neck. "What was your sister doing in this part of town anyway? Didn't you tell me she never left the house except for university stuff?"

"I..." Anna feels her face flash beetroot for a split second. "I think she was looking for me. She must have seen me cycle down that way..."

That quirk of his brow and hunch of his shoulders is all it takes. She really doesn't need Sven the dog rubbing it in by bumping into her legs.

"Alright, alright! I may have unintentionally forgotten to tell her I had plans after school when she asked if she could drive me there..." The sentence runs off her tongue at high speed, especially towards the end, hoping to drown out the words with sheer velocity. "I didn't expect her to come and pick me up, honest and..."

The older man groans, his hand covering his eyes as he lifts his face to the heavens.  
"You didn't refuse her offer, but didn't take her up on it either. Anna, why...?"

She looks out to the fjord then, the early twilight of the spring evening having now turned to dark. The waters, now black from the night above, shine with the lights of the city, ripples creating an aurora like effect only slightly ruined by the odd car or boat moving about. The red-head sighs.

Her worries about Elsa picking up on her sleep deprived state seem so childish now.

"I... really don't know." He watches as she hugs her free arm to herself, eyes downcast and feeling small. She doesn't mind him looking. He's one of the very few people she trusts.

He doesn't push her. He never does, not even when she's pushing him, to the edge, sometimes literally. As if feeling her need to think, he takes the bike's handles from her, guiding it the remaining fifty steps or so to the small gate he unlocks with a key. Sven paws it open, trotting in ahead quite happily. Anna comes next as Kristoff fights to juggle both the lock and bike.

"Here," she says, noticing how cold he looks and not needing the fur-lined jacket to hide her suit any more. He takes it with a nod as she grabs the bike once more; toying with one of the tassels she decorated it with. "Thanks again Kristoff."

"No problem," he grunts. He's used to her by now.

"And next time you're out of town... Please don't let it be a whole month, okay?"

Taking her teasing tone as a hint that she's starting to feel better, he smirks.  
"Hey, I told you, Sven needed a good run in the mountains, and I had some research that needed doing!"

"Research, smee-arch...!" The freckled teenager rolls her eyes. Sometimes she forgets that he's a good three years older than her. Punching him lightly in the shoulder she hops ahead. "Come on, we gonna go chat or what?"

They find a comfy spot amongst the rocks bordering the fjord, jutting out from the small concrete path leading to an empty pier, its planks dark and broken from neglect. No one bothers them here. A warehouse hides them from the town; boats tend to give the area a wide berth. The main road is far enough that all Anna can hear is the lapping of the waves, the gentle breeze above the waters and Sven's playful clattering of paws as he nibbles at some plant nearby. She half smiles at the sight of him in the twilight, strange dog that he is.

"So... What did I miss while I was gone?" The gruff man asks, clearly sensing Anna's need not to talk about today's events just yet.

"Oh nothing much..." She smiles. "Without you I have a hard time finding trouble."

He snorts disbelievingly. Yeah right, but it is true that without him she has a hard time finding actual crime to stop.

"I stopped a couple of bullies, helped a few lonely drunk women home..." Kristoff had specifically forbidden her from breaking up drunken brawls between guys, so she doesn't mention that couple of times she did out of sheer boredom. "Oh... And then I got a breakthrough."

"A breakthrough...?" She catches his worried look out the corner of her eye. Why does he always have to assume the worse? "What kind of breakthrough?"

Whipping her phone out of her pocket, she rapidly brings up her emails.  
"I found us an informant!" Anna proclaims proudly as she shows him the screen.

Her friend's brown eyes squint at the words written there, lips moving gently as he makes out the content. His dark thick brows scrunch up in confusion. "Who even calls themselves southern-isles13?"

Anna raises a brow. That's all he finds to say? Really?

"Does it matter?" She huffs. "Anyway, thanks to him I got hints for stuff that called for some Snowgirl action! See, here," she taps the screen showing the specific email she'd chosen to show him, "he gave me a hint to stop some knife-wielding drunk guy from hurting his ex... In another he sent me a hint to stop some petty thieves from robbing a corner shop. And I rocked."

"How do you even know it's a he? How do you know you can trust them?"  
The blond twenty-one year old looks incredulously up at her. She looks incredulously back at him. That's what he's focussing on? Really? She was certain he'd be a lot more excited about this...

"Of course! And I just know okay... It is how he writes, it's obviously a man!" She's flustered. She knows she is. Her hands are flailing about. Why can't Kristoff just see this as the amazing thing it clearly is?

"Right... You know nothing about this person, do you?" He chuckles as he returns her phone. "What's their real name?"

"Southern... Isles?" She guesses. A name's just a name after all.

"How old are they?"  
"Old enough!"

"What do they look like?"

"Dreamy..." She catches herself too late. The word's out. She blushes. She may have fantasized a bit too much about what southern-isles13's real appearance might have been like; thankfully Kristoff merely chuckles and moves on to the next question.

"How did they even get your email address? I don't have your email address!"

"I..." Her face colours with embarrassment... "I may have posted online an email address for Snowgirl... But it's okay! I deleted the post on Southern's advice!"

Kristoff's groan doesn't make it much better.

"Who even does that? Anna..."

"He also gave me the hint leading to the person that assaulted Elsa..." She whispers, ginger braids suddenly obscuring her face as she stares down at her sneakered feet.

"You want to talk about it?" His offer is quiet; prompting Sven to come sit at Anna's other side. She scratches the dog behind the ears, glad for the softness of the big creature's fur.

"I guess? I..." She pauses, collecting her thoughts and pondering where to start. "He emailed at the same time you sent your text, and I wanted to impress you by acting on the hint first. It seemed easy enough. Some drunken lady was in the process of robbing a jeweller's. It was just two streets up from our meeting point, so I ran up there. Stopped her from making away with the goods but..."

Reviewing the incident in her head, Anna hugs her knees. Is there any way she could have prevented harm from happening to Elsa? Could she have stopped the thief from getting away then? Could she have figured out Elsa was up ahead of them?

"There was a chase, and to try and get me to back off she grabbed this woman on the street and... Damn it Kristoff..." The tears are back in her eyes. She rubs at them angrily. Superheroes don't cry, never mind that she feels like a lost eighteen year-old and not some awesome vigilante. "I didn't even realise it was Elsa until I tripped up that witch and she got a slash across the cheek!"

"What happened then? Is your sister alright?" Kristoff's heartfelt concern warms her heart. She hugs Sven, the placid and warm presence at her side. She steadies her shaking breaths.

"I... I think so..." The cut was clearly shallow, and the police officers had pretty much appeared by then. Surely one of them would have stopped to check on her. She'd looked stunned, but okay when Anna had left, running after the demon in black. "I hope so. I chased after her attacker. I... couldn't stay to check on her for obvious reasons. There... The police officers... They must have..."

"Take your time..." The gentle press of Kristoff's broad fingers on her shoulders steadies her. She nods her thanks.

"That woman got away. Someone drove up in some beat-up red car and picked her up before I could get to her. When you called I... I was hiding from the cops. The cars you must have seen were probably chasing after that woman."

"I see..." The blond man stands, his silhouette backlit by the street lights across the quay. "Come on. Let's get you home."

"Eh?"

"Don't look so confused. Your sister's just been involved in an attack. Something tells me that now is not the time for you to be out on the streets trying to forget about her."

"I..."

"She needs you Anna. You're her only family." He hammers home as he reaches out a hand to help her up. Hesitantly she takes it.

He's right. If ever Elsa is to open up to her once more, it's more likely to be tonight... especially so if Elsa made the effort to come looking for her. Besides, she wants to be there if and when Elsa needs her. Being Snowgirl is never anything more than a distraction from the loneliness Anna feels at home, a vicarious way of getting closer to the version of her sister she idealises while ignoring the one hiding behind the door. Besides, she can feel the pang in her heart, a knot in her gut and this weight on her shoulders: she needs to know if Elsa is okay. She needs to see her. She wants to see her now more than ever.

Something in her expression must show her sudden anxiousness to get home. Kristoff stops her from reaching for her bike.

"Leave it. We'll give you a ride."

Pulling off the crystal necklace he wears around his neck, Kristoff undergoes the shimmery transformation that caused her to give him the nickname Iceman. He puts the cord holding the ice-like stone over Sven's head; the dog's ears flattening back as he too shimmers. Canine features ripple as Sven's body grows both broader and taller. Velvety protrusions appear on his head, branching off into antlers, his feet click as he hops excitedly, no longer from clawed nails but two-toed hoofs. Sven's reindeer form is as friendly as his dog-shape, and though Anna is happy to hug his neck, she takes a moment to shyly glance at Kristoff.

There's not much light to observe him by, but the young man's pale skin turns quite a few shades darker. His leather coat and jeans have been replaced by some hand stitched furs and leathers of seemingly Sámi design, bright colours decorating the trims. Numerous more crystals appear out of nowhere to hang around his neck, glowing faintly with various coloured lights. She still doesn't know how he performs this strange magic, but she loves it all the same.

"Up you get..." He says. His voice is somewhat more gravelly as he helps her clamber onto Sven's back in front of him. She's glad for the harness that appears around Sven's shoulders when Kristoff does the magic. Riding atop a reindeer is tricky business at the best of times, but an experience she wouldn't relinquish for all the chocolate in the world... And with Anna, that's saying something.

"Thanks, Iceman." She whispers, pulling up her hood against the cold breeze rising with the night.

"No problem..." He says simply. With a slap of his palm against Sven's rump, they're off.

Snowgirl and Iceman ride through Arendelle once more.

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

There's not a speck of dust to be seen in this room. There's not a paper out of place. My study books are in their shelves, spines straight and undamaged. The files I sometimes peruse with regards to the running of the estate are safely stowed away in the drawers of my desk. Atop the study surface, my pens are lined up neatly next to a notepad; my phone has been placed upon its charging dock. Nearby an ornate clock ticks away the time atop my chest of drawers. I know each one has its contents neatly folded and stacked. I know which drawer has trousers, skirts, and which one has tops. The walls too, every picture on them is straight. Every image is geometrically appeasing, just like the carpet underfoot...

The carpet that hides water damage and warped floorboards. The pictures are landscape snaps from our skiing holidays, that don't look out of place when ice climbs the walls and snow coats their frames. The bare surfaces and neatly stowed belongings make it easier to clear away any excess snow and ice.

I hug my arms close, huddled against the door. My attempts at pushing through my scattered emotions by cataloguing the contents of my room aren't working. I can see flakes forming mid air. There's a sparkle to the floor that shouldn't be there. Even the flowers on the windowsill, at the other end of the room, are wilting from the cold.

I've taken my leave from Kai, as he knew I would. He didn't try to stop me, only asking if he should expect me down for dinner or send Johanna up with a platter to my quarters. The tray lies, barely touched, atop a table nearby. I find that I'm not feeling very hungry. Seeing white frost creep along the floor from where I'm sat doesn't help. The pain on my cheek as I clench my jaw doesn't help either.

It has been a very long time since I last felt this distraught, a time I can count in years, just fewer than three in fact. My knuckles whiten as I clench my fists around my knees. Fresh tears are in my eyes. I've done my grieving. I know that they're gone and not coming back. The pain isn't as deep or heart wrenching, but I feel it linger, this dull ache. I miss them. I miss their conviction that everything will be okay, that I would manage to keep these powers in check.

I miss pretending I could believe them.

Forcing my thoughts away from such sad times, I try and plan for the days ahead. The bandage on my face is going to cause glances and curious questions that I'm going to need to be prepared for. I force myself to take a deep breath. I hold the air in a second as the image of that knife wielding woman flashes in memory, and then let it out, trying to shove away my recollection of the snow suited girl. I've managed to formulate a few plausible responses in my head when suddenly my ears pick out a sound that makes me pause.

Footsteps are sounding down the hall to my room. They're not the heavy but measured steps of Kai. They're not the regular patter of Gerda's feet; she's not due back for a couple of days yet anyway. I turn towards the door I've been leaning against, my ear finding its spot against the wood. It's like being visited by a ghost from the past. That hesitant shuffle, the way the walker stops and starts... I remember being the young girl who lived for that sound. I remember counting the days between two such visitations, the length between two such incidents growing as we both grew in years. Something in my chest catches, as I dare myself to hope.

There have been times when her tread slowed, where it ambled towards my door only to turn back, to pause without completing the final step. A little voice in my head is saying that today isn't going to be one of those days: today, Anna will knock once more.

I am startled beyond belief to find that she does.

Tap. Tap. Ta-tap, tap. Tap. The melodic rhythm of her knock is unchanged.

"Elsa?" Yes, it is definitely her. Anna's voice is quiet, worried, I'd even say sad. "I... Elsa, I want to apologise. This morning I..."

I hear a mutter, a pause as her hand slides down the wood. I keep quiet, as I always do. It makes it easier to keep the door closed, to keep the ice hidden. She'll figure out what she wants to say.

"I'm sorry. I was foolish. I should have told you that I was meeting up with some friends today. I..." A dry chuckle, a thud, Anna's voice sounds slightly off. She... She's not crying is she? A small sniffle, her voice is slightly muffled before regaining its normally cheerful tone. "I was so silly. I didn't think you'd let me put the bike in the boot. I hope you'll forgive me."

I... Is that all? Oh Anna... I feel like laughing. By the sound of it, she's as upset at the missed opportunity as I was. I'm glad to hear the cause of the misunderstanding, so that I can lay those thoughts to rest. It's a small thing in the grand scheme of things. I just wish that Anna will stop beating herself up over it. It's not worth it. Life's too short for that.

I lean back and smile, enjoying the perceived warmth of my sister's presence on the other side of the door. She's given me time to answer, if I so choose. Now she'll either fill the silence with babble or say her goodbyes for the night.

"Hey, Elsa... Are you alright in there?" Worry prickles my skin as her tentative question reaches my ears. "I... Only I saw Kai and he said you'd had some trouble and I saw that the first aid kit had been used when I went to get a plaster and..."

And she's babbling. Of course Kai would give her some reason as to why I didn't show up for dinner. The man is too good to lie and too professional to give more than the minimal details. It is no wonder Anna is worried.

"...and you haven't eaten your dinner yet, have you? You're too neat and tidy to not put your tray out to be collected once you've finished eating. Elsa. You..."

Breaking a rule I followed for a good ten years, I reply, if only to save Anna from getting herself worked up any further.  
"I'm fine, Anna, thank you." I hear her sharp intake of breath at the sound of my voice. I sound a lot quieter than I'd like, I force myself to project some more as I add, "I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast, okay?"

I hear a small squeak, than a much more delighted sounding Anna.  
"Of course! I'll see you then. Good night Elsa!"

Her feet tread away, the shuffle now replaced with a bouncy gait. I smile, suddenly feeling a lot warmer inside, and all the happier for it.

"Good night Anna." I whisper.

Looking around the room, I can see the flowers on the windowsill are perking up a bit. I stand up, my feet a bit wobbly as I make my way to the platter of food Kai sent for me. It's simple fair, it always is when Kai's left in charge of meals, but it is much needed. I'm suddenly very hungry.

My cheek twinges a little and I have a thought. If I can face Anna tomorrow at breakfast with her knowing what to expect, then people at the university and work will be no trouble at all.

It strikes me as I put the platter out that she never asked her trademark question. I'm glad she didn't. It would have reminded me too much of the last time she had asked it, her voice broken with sobs as my heart had ached all the more.

One thousand, yes, that's how many it's been.  
One thousand days since Anna last knocked at my door.  
One thousand days since their funeral.

The ache's still there, but the thought doesn't hurt so much this time.


	4. Fighting Fear

_It's dark. I feel myself falling, struggling to find my balance as I try to make sense of where I am. My arms swing wildly as I trip over numb feet. I feel afraid, but no light seems to be coming from my fingers, no cold flurries are manifesting around me. A queasy feeling stirs in my gut, as though I were at sea, roiling waves shunting the room I'm in to and fro..._

_Our parents died at sea..._

_And upon that thought a great loud crack of thunder deafens me, my ears whistling from the racket as a bright flash blinds me too. Suddenly the walls are gone, and I can make out shapes in the shadows. I'm afloat on a raft, liquid mountains rising and falling around me. My knees are shaking as I fall upon_ _the floor, only for a blast of frost to emanate from the impact. Brutally the sea goes still. The shadows dissipate further as the ice glows, producing moon-like light and pulsing colours. My breath hovers before me in a small white cloud, my teeth clatter as I feel myself shiver. I don't feel the cold, it doesn't bother me... There's something much colder than actual cold to chill my soul._

_A crackling noise causes me to lift my gaze from the ice. Large spikes protrude from the ground, their tips sharp and menacing. It takes me a moment to realize that they are layered upon white material, two legs encased in their threatening shape. My eyes rise up to observe the person before me._

_In front of me stands the girl in the snowsuit. Her face is hidden by the hood, but I can see a sneer twisting her lips. Ice surrounds her shoulders like a halo of thorns. Her hands are clawed with frosted gloves._

_My blood chills as I notice a splash of red behind her, the mugger from earlier lies, their chest impaled... My heart stops as I notice Snowgirl's hair, a white pleat hanging over her left breast._

_She is me. She is the monster I could become._

_Anna, I need to find Anna. I need to make sure that she is..._

I sit up with a gasp, my heart pounding. My sheets are frozen stiff. Anna. Where?  
I fall out of my bed, too panicked to take the time to untangle my feet. A sharp pain immobilizes me as I land on my cheek. It brings me back to reality, wakes me up. It was a dream, a nightmare... I...

Blood coats the floor where I landed, the thin layer of snow making it shine red and bright. The cut on my cheek must have reopened. I stare in horror, finding it hard to separate the sight from that of the dream, but force myself to close my eyes.

Anna. Breakfast.

Part of me knows that I shouldn't risk it. I'm too raw, too fearful to face her with the ice coursing through my veins so readily...

But I need to see her. I need to know that she is safe.

* * *

**Fighting fear.**

* * *

**Anna Gyllenblom**

Anna had expected bad dreams, but after several nights out late, a good deep sleep has Anna smiling. She stretches out her arms high above her head, letting out one last yawn. The events of yesterday seem long gone, yet she can't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. Elsa, she...

Anna huffs as she remembers the sight of her sister, defenceless as a knife ran up her cheek. Guilt storms through her gut once more, but she remembers Elsa's voice from last night too.  
"She's fine," she whispers to herself. "She's going to join me for breakfast." Elsa had as good as promised, right? Anna recalls how quiet Elsa was as she said those words, how shaky they sounded through the wood of the door. Anna wouldn't be surprised if Elsa elected to skip breakfast, though she would be saddened.

Anna tries not to think about it, instead choosing to think about her school schedule. Had there been mutterings of a test for today? Darn, she can't remember which subject it is in. If it is in missus Kantenavsky's history class, Anna is screwed. She ponders this as she braids her hair, her flatbread and cheese platter lying untouched before her. She hears the door creak.

Her teal eyes shoot instantly to the dining room's entrance. Hands still as she holds her breath. Will it be...?

Anna sighs in relief at the sight of her sister. She feared it would be Kai presenting her excuses. Anna is beyond glad to see Elsa, the blonde's pale beauty always lighting up the room when she walks in. Even despite her tendency to lock herself away and lose herself in her work, Anna still has no words to describe how much she admires her older sibling. The grace with which Elsa glides to her chair and pulls it out leaves Anna a little envious. The complete lack of creases on Elsa's skirt and shirt tend to make her feel self-conscious... But then Elsa half smiles softly up at her, and Anna's world brightens up.

Only this morning the calming effect of Elsa's smile is marred by the ugly bandage strapped to her jaw.  
"Oh, god." The words slip out before Anna can stop then. She rapidly tries to hide her blunder by following up with: "I mean good morning, Elsa. I..."

Her natural ability to blether seems to evaporate upon seeing evidence of Elsa's wound. The gauze wadding is thick, thicker than Anna likes. The patch seems fresh, but already darkening with what Anna knows to be her sister's blood. The medical tape holding the pad in place stands out against Elsa's pale complexion. It looks wrong.

"It looks worse than it is..." Elsa says simply, noticing Anna's stare. There is a gleam to Elsa's blue eyes that gives Anna pause. The auburn haired sister feels butterflies in her stomach, anxious once more about her sibling's wellbeing, but she is mindful to look away from the wound. Elsa continues, pouring herself a cup of tea. "Did you sleep well?"

That's it? That's all the explanation Anna's getting about her sister rocking in looking like she got mugged? Anger coils in Anna's breast, but she clenches her hand around her knife, forces it back.  
"Yes." Anna replies, her answer sharper than she would like. She would ask Elsa the same question, but she feels as though she knows the answer.

Silence falls between the two, awkward and thick. The clatter of china and cutlery fills the room with the sound of a normalcy that is feigned. Anna fights at the tears forming in her eyes. She craves these moments of proximity with her sister, but she always forgets how much they can hurt. And Elsa's eyes... They...

The intensity with which Elsa looks at her has goose bumps forming over Anna's skin. She's seen that look before. She remembers being ushered out of the room whenever their parents noticed it too. She remembers how more often than not that look was accompanied by awkward words... Words that held much promise, fanning the fire of hope in Anna's breast each time, only for it to be doused by the inevitable evasion or interruption. It hurt more than being ignored or avoided. Whenever Elsa's eyes took on that gleam... She knew. She knew exactly how much Elsa was hurting.

No one wants to be alone.

It's the kind of look that kept Anna coming back to Elsa's door time and time again as they were growing up. It's this sort of look that haunts her when she realises just how long it has been since they last properly saw each other, since they last spoke. It's part of why she's taken to going out onto the streets in a white snowsuit to fight. She needs a distraction from the guilt: the guilt of just not knowing how to help her sister. She's tried knocking. She's tried giving her space. She feels like she's tried everything.

That does not mean that she's going to stop trying though.

"Y-you know, about what happened yesterday..." Anna is glad that her voice doesn't quiver too much. She's relieved when she manages to make her sentence sound like more of a suggestion than a demand... "If you want to talk about it... I'm here."

Not that she particularly looks forward to talking about Snowgirl's greatest failure, but she wants to be there for Elsa. She earnestly wants to help.

For a moment, Elsa looks like she might cry. Her hand trembles as she puts her fork down.  
"I..." The mask slips, and there's a grief soaring across Elsa's features that stuns Anna. "I would like to..."

Anna holds her breath. She believes her wholeheartedly. She can sense Elsa's need to speak about whatever is troubling her in the pitch of her voice, in the way her gloved hand reaches across the table. The older sister's light blue eyes glance down shyly at her hand, pain still twisting her face. Anna holds her tongue.

"I would like..." Elsa starts again, the words half whispered. "I need... I..."

"I would like to..." Anna has to lean forward to hear the words, but she catches them nonetheless. "But I can't."

It's like a sliver of ice has been dropped down the back of Anna's top. Though it is whispered, the last word has that tone of finality that Anna has come to know so well. It's not can't, it's won't. When Elsa's like that, there's no changing her mind. It stings, because she knows that Elsa was so very close to giving in. She knows how much she needs to get the words off her chest... But instead, Anna's sister is choosing to keep bottling them up, torturing herself with this self-imposed isolation which Anna knows can't be healthy.

"Okay," Anna replies. It's not, but until Elsa is ready to accept that, Anna's not going to let this be any more awkward than it needs to be. Elsa is already turning away from her, hiding behind her fringe as she sips her coffee, staring out the window. Time to move on... "Do you want to drive me to school today?"

Anna waits for Elsa's answer, her heartbeat loud in her ears as she holds up the last of her hot cocoa.

"I..." She's pulling at the gloves on her hands again, that ghastly habit that has Anna wincing, wishing she wouldn't insist on wearing the darn things come sun or rain. Elsa shakes her head. "I think I need the day off. Sorry."

"Don't be," Anna says. It comes out automatically. She can see Elsa holding a hand up to the bandage on her cheek. "It looks sore. You take care of yourself, okay?"

Elsa nods. Anna stands, unable to stay in the room much longer. All she wants to do is go to her sister's side and hug her, but she knows from experience that that won't be allowed. Elsa's too stubborn, too proud to even allow Anna that option. She doesn't want a fight. Not after last night. So she needs to leave before her heart takes over. Besides, she needs to sneak her snowsuit into the wash before school, while Gerda is still on annual leave.

"You... You've got your class after school, right?"

Elsa's question catches her just as she's at the door. Anna smiles noticing that Elsa remembers about her martial arts class.  
"Yeah. I'll be home straight after, don't worry."

With that, she leaves. The image of her sister facing away from her and framed by the white light of the window is imprinted in her mind.

"I love you, Elsa..." she whispers. No matter how difficult, Anna will always love her sister.

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

After Anna leaves the dining room, time seems to drag on in a numb fog. I was close, so close to telling her everything. It's the closest I've been in years to just giving up on all the secrets, the separation, just for the chance to be able to hold her, to have her remind me that everything will be okay... But I know that I can't. I can't risk her getting hurt. I'm just so relieved, after that nightmare and the fretful two hours that followed, to see that she's okay.

For my definition of okay: it never gets easier seeing the worry, the frustration on my sister's face. Still, she doesn't push me, even though I can tell that she wants to. I'm glad.

Nevertheless, my emotions are still too close to the surface, the ice itching at my palms inside my gloves as I speak to Anna, my coffee going cold and undrinkable near instantly. It's the usual dance of diversions, misdirection and silence. The moment she closes the door I allow myself to release the tension in my shoulders, to abandon the cup on the table. My wound stings, a burning sensation on my jaw that doesn't help when it comes to stopping the patch of ice from appearing on the table, snowflakes from drifting around my head to land on the windowsill.

I sigh and take off the glove on my right hand. If my power is going to be out of control today, I might as well make it useful. I press my cold fingers against the gauze, allowing the now unimpeded cold to soothe the cut, to fight the inflammation. There's no chance I'm going to be able to attend university today. It's one of my busy days too. I sigh and stand. I find the landline phone on the side table against the wall and dial the number I've dialled far too often since starting my course. Still, it's a necessary absence. One can blame the cold state of the lecture halls on their draughtiness or their lack of proper heating only so often before becoming suspicious. Besides, I don't want to face Merida and Rapunzel, not yet. Something tells me that the two would find it hard to leave things well alone, and I just don't have the heart today to fight them on it.

Instead I potter around with some of the accumulating paperwork regarding the running of the estate, my eyes glazing over as I act on bill after bill, process request after request. Come lunchtime, as he checks on me to change the bandage on my cheek, Kai makes the great suggestion to go outdoors for a walk across the grounds. Finishing what I can of my sandwich, I agree, on condition that we avoid the grounds available to visiting members of the public.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he says, smiling softly with a bow. I don't think he'll ever get out of that habit. "The visitor gardens are not what concerns me today."

My curiosity peaked, I follow. I notice as we go down the steps that I can see the top of his head and how much his hair has thinned since he used to bend down to my level when I was a child. He's not a young man anymore. In vain, I try to recall his age. Anna and I are quite good at remembering his birthday every year, alongside Gerda's and Johanna's, but not how old he's turning... My heart clenches at the thought that he might not always be there for me. He's a rock I can't do without.

"This way," he says, pointing towards the rockery.

I remember this portion of the garden. It used to be mother's favourite corner to let us sit and play in. Anna once put a bug down the back of my dress by that rock... I used to read her stories under the tree nearby. It's a lot more derelict than I remember, more barren than even the winter months could account for. Father always made a point to put in plants that would thrive and give the place colour even in winter. By the look of things, no one has seen to the plants since they-...

"Oh..." I gasp.

"Yes, quite." Kai says solemnly, as he correctly deduces the cause for my reaction. "Your parents always saw to this section personally, expressly forbidding our other grounds men to do any work here. We haven't... revised that since they-... since the incident."

I step across mossy overgrown grass, patches brown and tawdry. My gloved hand reaches out for the branch of a barren tree, no leaves and no flowers. There's slime on the rocks we used to sit on. There's a fountain nearby, a smaller copy of the grand thing that greets visitors near the front door. It is dry. A weed is growing out of a crack in one of the ornaments, tall and springy, jagged burgundy leaves sticking out like thorns. Its roots threaten to break the gargoyle apart. The flower beds are no longer clear cut, just vague shapes full of mud and bits of stone, invaded by scraggy weeds.

My heart clenches. This isn't just the neglect of the three years since my parents passing. This garden has barely been used since I turned ten. I wouldn't be surprised if it had taken a back seat in their priorities as my struggles with my powers grew. Guilt bubbles in my gut. This garden used to be such a happy place. Vaguely I recall the grand garden parties Mama and Papa would host, the streamers going from tree to tree. I remember playing with the water in the fountain, admiring the flowers before getting a glass of fruit juice sat on someone's knee. I remember song and laughter.

The birds don't even sing here anymore.

"I take it the grounds men will need a bigger budget to see to here?" My voice is quiet as I ask, noticing the large branch that is snapped off from what used to be our favourite tree.

"Yes Marm," Kai replies. His manner is leisurely as he walks up to my side, but I can see the gentle concern in his eyes. "They would also appreciate a brief as to what you would like the garden to look like. I may have some suggestions, if you are willing to hear them?"

I nod, finding a place to sit on the edge of the fountain. I startle. I can feel the roughness of the stone beneath me. I've left my right glove inside. It's not an unpleasant sensation though, the texture helping to anchor me, reminding me that there's hope to return some of its past glory to this garden yet.

"Please Kai, I'm all ears."

* * *

**Anna Gyllenblom**

Yes, it is Missus Kantenavsky's class that has a test on and Anna is counting the seconds until she can hand in her much scribbled sheet and fly out of school.

Today sucks. Like majorly. Granted, Elsa's refusal this morning to face the obvious fact that she needs to talk to someone about what happened didn't help matters. It is even more infuriating because Anna can't tell her that she knows full well what happened because she was there, she was the reason Elsa got held hostage, she was the only reason Elsa was even in the area. Darn it, being the Snowgirl vigilante is meant to be fun. It's meant to be an escape from the guilt of not being able to help people. It's meant to help her feel better.

She was ruminating over it all morning when that bullish Astrid bumped into her shoulder, knocking her into the wall. She'd been too distracted to protest, too wound up to listen to Jack's normally entertaining tales, and Jack hadn't helped either.

"Hey, did your sister find you alright last night?" Mega-flipping thanks mate. Only she can't tell him that. Because the official version is that Anna never saw Elsa. Darn.

"Erm. Ah. What?" She was in the middle of revising, or at least pretending to. Her focus is shot. The effort of trying to come up with a convincing lie melts what few brain cells she has remaining.

"Never mind, I'll leave you to revise." The knowing smirk on his face... Did he know? Had he...

Great, now Anna could add paranoia to the list of ailments troubling her that day.

So it is with wide strides and a powerful glower that Anna hands in what she knows will be a fail and makes a beeline for the exit. She needs to punch something, hard, and she's darn glad she has her martial arts class lined up. The last thing she wants to do is have her Snowgirl persona go villain because she can't hold back a punch.

Oh yeah, and she has to head there on foot because she's not reclaimed her bike yet. Realising that late this morning was a pain; turning up late to Mr Ragnar's class had certainly set the tone for the day, one of constant setbacks. Hopefully they end there. Anna is so angry and frustrated she's not sure how much more she can take.

The fury in her face must show when she arrives in the sports hall. Kristoff is there, as is Master Li, and instantly her blond friend catches on.

"Oh." He says. It's all he needs to say. Anna deflates instantly. Maybe she shouldn't have come. Maybe she should just head back home and hide her head under her pillow while listening to sad songs and eating ice cream.

She feels tears stinging in her eyes. She's just a child, really. Who is she kidding?

Kristoff, bless him, doesn't seem to know how to react, his hand hovers awkwardly in the space between them as he makes uncertain noises and glances left and right. Master Li is not going to be any help. She is busy setting up the mats as other students filter in to use the changing rooms. The Asian woman is the very picture of control and poise. Anna doubts she'll ever be anything like her.

Finally, Kristoff gets over himself and gently guides her to a seat nearby. His hands are a nice warm weight on her shoulders. He rubs her back gently as she lets out a sob or two. He has the grace to look away, not to comment. He's there for her and its wonderful and she just... She doesn't know why she is finding it this hard.

"I'm... sorry Kris..." Anna finally says as she finally manages to bring her crying to a stop. She'd been afraid it would go on for ages, but thankfully the spell is short. Mulan Li only glances over briefly as the students start lining up.

"Do you want to sit this class out?" He asks. She notices that she got the sleeve of his uniform all wet. She shakes her head.

Deep breaths Anna, you can do this.  
"No, thanks Kristoff." And she means it wholeheartedly. Just knowing that he's got her back; that he knows what is going on with her without her needing to say a thing; it means the world to her. It lifts a weight off her shoulders. It was dragging her down all day.

He trusts her to tell him when she's ready, and that's all she needs.

"I'm away to get changed." She tries not to blush as he smiles at her. She fails, but she doesn't mind. She couldn't have imagined him giving her such butterflies when she'd first started the class. The gruff red belt took some time to warm up to, but he is a sweetie really. Turns out he likes to turn up to the class more to practice his first aid skills than throw punches or teach kids how to bow and not talk back. He certainly knows his way around an ice pack.

"See you soon," Kristoff says. And all is right with the world.

* * *

**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

It's one of those rare spring afternoons where one can feel a hint of summer around the corner. I'm sat on a garden chair Kai rustled up, a small table covered in paperweights and notes at my side as I sketch out the next idea for the gardens. Kai's suggestions are brilliant, as always, and prove to be exactly what I need to focus my mind. I smile and even hum a little as I draw out the geometric shapes I envisage.

I'm not a gardener, but father taught me enough that I know of flowers that would make for a great flowerbed there and which trees might fare well in what the soil has become. Kai suggested turning this large section of garden into a special area for events, a way for it to pay back the investment required. The garden has been neglected too long for it to be simply tamed afresh, and it would just be too sorrowful to try and recreate the wonder my parents once nurtured. It is a blank canvas for me to pour my soul into, and the creative juices are flowing.

Kai knows me too well. I smirk, lifting pen from paper with a flourish before wincing. Yes cut, I know you are still there... Though thankfully, it stings less now. Kai truly is a wonder.

Thinking of the man, here he comes, phone in hand. It must be for me. It must be pretty important if he, the Estates Manager for the Castle and its grounds, can't handle it personally or get me to ring back at my convenience. I lift my bare hand away from the table. I don't want some unwanted frost damaging the designs.

"Yes Kai?" I ask, trying not to frown. He doesn't look happy.

"It's the phone for you Milady." His tone is professional as ever, but his eyes... I can see worry in the crinkle of his nose, a hint of distress in the wrinkle between his brows. I soon find out why. "It's the police."

All the calm I've accumulated throughout the day, the warmth I soaked in from the sun and the peace from drawing evaporates as though it was never there. The grass under my feet crunches as I stand, too fast, too upright. My head sways as my cheek stings. Did someone see? Is it about my ice?

"Did they say what about?" My voice wavers, but stays strong. One benefit of working hard on estate matters is that my business face is on. I can take the challenge, even if I really don't want to... even if it might break me.

He shakes his head and hands me the handset. "They wouldn't discuss it with me, but I did verify they were who they said they were. They insisted it was urgent."

"Thank you Kai," I reassure him as best I can. I lift the mouthpiece into place, careful not to put the device on the side of my face with the bandage.

"Hello, this is the Countess of Gyllenblom speaking." The title rolls off my tongue out of habit. Mother always insisted we weren't to shy away from the status her royal blood gave us. I dread the day, too near to my tastes, when her Baroness title is officially passed on to me. "May I inquire what this is about?"

The voice on the other end is smooth as honey, a bit too much to my tastes, but the man sounds competent and tactful, for which I am grateful.  
"Inspector Westergard, I'm calling from the Arendelle precinct Ma'am. I understand you are very busy, but I was wondering if I and a couple of my officers might call upon you for some quick questions. Your cooperation in this matter would be most appreciated."

Polite, but worryingly vague, I need to inquire. I lick my lips and steady myself on the back of my chair, frost coating it like a cushion. "What would this matter be?"

"Attempted theft, Ma'am, we have reason to believe you witnessed some of the events in the port district late yesterday afternoon."

I see Kai shiver out the corner of my eye. A small breeze is rising, making the papers on the table flutter beneath their weights. I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes.  
"I doubt that, Inspector. What reason would I have had to be at the port yesterday?" The lie comes easier than it should, as my lies inevitably do. They are the shield behind which I hide myself, my first defence whenever I feel someone is getting too close for comfort. I don't want to meet this inspector. I don't want him asking me about yesterday, about...

I remember the flash of that woman's blade, the stink of alcohol on her breath, the obnoxious dyed red colour of her hair. I remember the fear, the pain, and my panic. My breath catches in my throat. It's hard to breathe.

"Ma'am, we have CCTV footage of you asking around cafés in the district about the whereabouts of your sister, Anna Gyllenblom. There is little doubt. I understand you may not want the publicity linked with being involved in such an investigation, which is why I am proposing that we come to you with the utmost discretion. Heaven knows the tabloids would have a field day linking the 'mysterious heir to the Gyllenblom estate' with the tawdry awfulness of a jewellery heist."

Curses, there's no avoiding it now. The inspector is canny, mentioning the rabid nature of some of the local press. My stomach still churns at the memory of the various articles the tabloids had published after our parents died. Kai still needs to regularly turn journalists away, filter my calls and do thorough background checks on any media representatives invited to official Estate events. It is one of the downsides of being the daughter of a Princess who gave up her link to the throne to marry a commoner... though father was anything but common.

It's best to get it over and done with quickly. I doubt they would be giving me a courtesy call if they suspected about my powers. Still, I am anything but happy about the situation.

"I expect the utmost discretion, Inspector Westergard. Will it really be necessary for your fellow officers to come along as well?" It is so much easier to distract a person on their own from any eddy my emotions throw into the mix. The fact that he feels the need to bring other officers is not reassuring.

"Pure protocol, Ma'am, I assure you." Smooth as caramel, the man's voice would feature well in a chain of adverts for luxury products. He clearly knows it too. "I am only bringing with me the officers directly involved in the investigation. Their discretion is guaranteed."

"Fine." I sound terse, and I know it. I try to think of a time best suited for the interview, the sooner the better... but not with Anna in the house. "How does noon tomorrow sound? I'll let the guards know to expect you at the back entrance."

"Thank you very much for your cooperation, Ma'am. We will see you there at noon tomor-..." I hang up on him, keen to put an end to the conversation. I hand Kai the phone. He doesn't blink twice, instantly taking in my mood, nodding his head gracefully, and retreating to the building without a word.

"Urgh!" Frustration overcomes me, and a swing of my arms causes sparks to fly from my right hand. The ground erupts into spikes of sharp, jagged ice. My eyes go wide. Darn, I'm still missing a glove. My embarrassment paired with the flaring of my temper has ice digging into the ground beneath my feet, soft grass and mud turning hard as stone, my flat shoes slipping ever so slightly on the gentle incline created.

"Oh, keep it together, Elsa!" I scold myself as I force myself to count my breaths, breathing in deeply, thinking a number, breathing out. "Conceal it," I whisper, "don't feel it." My hands clasp tightly at my sides, fisting my blouse. I can still feel through the thin fabric the magic swirling within my uncovered hand. The cold may not bother me as it does others, but I know it, I know it better than anyone. I stumble away from the ice spikes towards the house, towards the safety of my room. My steps are small, hurried. Anxiety fills me. I need to pass a gate near the visiting area. "Please..." I plead. "Don't let it show."

I'm just passed the gate when I hear loud arguing, distracting me from the turmoil of my emotions. They sound familiar, but out of place. One of them belongs to Johanna Lind, our maid. She never raises her voice. I'm stunned. As for the other... my eyebrows reach for my hairline. It can't be... can it?

"Ah'm telling ye! Ah need tae see Elsa!" Merida Dunbroch, it is undoubtedly her. Her normally flawless sounding Norwegian is heavily accented by her raised voice and clear frustration. Where...?

"The Countess is currently unavailable! How many times must I tell you...? You are trespassing on private property, young miss. Do not make me call the authorities! I don't even know how you avoided the guards..."

If Merida gives old Johanna a conniption, I'll be sure to make her feel exactly how cold the top of Mount Everest is. I grit my teeth. Temper, Elsa, temper... Ouch.

The wound! It's the perfect outlet for the magic pounding through my veins: to vent my anger and frustration in the soothing of its increasingly hot throbbing. Swiftly I put my bare hand against the bandage, the intense cold radiating off my fingers piercing through the gauze, prickling and numbing the skin beneath. I worry a moment that the bandage may be falling off, the cold disabling the adhesive. The texture I feel underneath my fingers feels like it is disintegrating. This concern is swiftly swept away as I finally catch sight of Johanna and Merida.

The gray haired maid is animated with intense devotion to her duty. Intruders in the private areas of our estate are a big no-no, for obvious reasons. I will have to remember to thank her properly for going the extra mile in her diligence. It is appreciated... But Merida...

I've never, in all the time I've known her, seen the red-haired Scotswoman look so frazzled. Oh I've seen her arrive in class looking like she'd been dragged through a hedge after one of her impromptu hikes, and I've seen her nursing the aftermath of a monstrous hangover shortly after the new year... yet...

There's an intense panic, a fear I never thought I'd see in her expression. Her eyes are darting left and right, as though she's not sure where to look. Her hands are wringing the strap to her shoulder bag as she shouts back at Johanna, intermittently calling out my name. She's even tripping over her own feet in her haste to find me. Merida Dunbroch never trips. She's the surest-footed person I know, a brave athlete who came to study in Norway not on the merits of the course (although they apparently weighed heavily in convincing her mother to allow it), but for the access to ridiculously dangerous slopes to climb for fun.

Neither of them have notices me yet, but it won't be long. I have no discreet way past them and I am suddenly very conscious of the hand I'm holding against my cheek. I face away, slowly releasing the hold of my palm from my jaw, the magic finally ceasing, returning to a manageable swirl in my gut.

"Elsa! Finally..." The relief in Merida's voice is palpable. I look towards her, trying to look suitably annoyed. Whatever she was going to say next seems to evaporate from her lips as she stares in dumb silence.

"Milady, I must apologise for this young woman's intrusion. I tried to call on Mister Vinter, but Kai was nowhere to be found and-..."

"It's alright, Johanna." I make an effort to give her an earnest smile, reaching out with my gloved hand to squeeze her arm in gratitude. "Thank you. I'll handle this from here."

"Milady." She curtseys before returning towards the area where the clothes lines are, obviously the point at which she intercepted the intruder. It doesn't stop the normally sweet mannered maid from giving Merida a cross look. The last time I saw her give anyone that kind of look was when I used to trick her as a prank-prone child.

Merida doesn't notice. She's too busy staring at me.

I try not to let her silence unsettle me. Crossing my arms, I decide to switch to my approximation of her native tongue, seeing how out of sorts she clearly is.  
"Okay... Now that you have upset my staff Merida, why are y-..."

A noise somewhere between a wail and what sounds suspiciously like a string of Gaelic swearing pour forth. Her hands fly up to her face, push her hair back, and spin as she tries to put her emotions into words. She steps forward, grabbing my upper arms before remembering how much personal space I normally require of her. She rapidly steps back, her fingers clasping down at her sides. I'm too distracted by the clear distress on her features to care.

"Crivens, whit happened tae ye Elsa?" The meaning is clear, even if her words aren't. She's glancing between my jaw and my eyes. I'm certain that the bandage is gone now. She must be seeing the cut in all its black and blue glory. I cringe. This is what I wanted to avoid. She doesn't pause to let me answer, her fist pounding into her palm. "Which bampot did this tae ye? When ye didn't show up tae classes, Rapunzel and I thought sumthin' had happened tae yer sister nae... ye! Argh."

She flings her arms to the sky and starts pacing back and forth. She's muttering all the while. I only catch a couple of snippets that I can understand, but enough to form a picture in my head.

Apparently she and Rapunzel, although used to my numerous absences, thought it dreadfully strange that today's would coincide with me having such worries about my sister the day prior... Especially after Merida had shown me that video of this 'Snowgirl' fighting some thug in town. Especially after the two had noticed how it upset me. It's probably foolish of them to worry so much, but they did. I don't understand why. I can't...

My shins smart as they hit the ground, my sight blurs as it finds itself level with Merida's belt. The redhead seems to freeze. I think I'm laughing, but as my hands reach up to my face I can feel that I am crying. I'm...

I'm a monster. Kai and Gerda care for me because they always have, because I pay their wages. Anna cares because she's my sister, because she doesn't know any better. Why would Rapunzel... Why would Merida...?

I'm crying because I'm happy, I realise belatedly. Someone cares, even though it's not expected of them, even if they have no reason to, even if I don't deserve it... They care.

The words start spilling from my lips. Merida's on her knees now, hands gently clasping at my shoulders, eyes wide and bewildered. I don't even mind, too eager, too desperate to get the tale out. I tell her what happened yesterday. I tell her how I followed Anna down to the port, only to lose sight of her. I tell her how I wandered along the northern quay searching for her, of the incident.

I feel her grip on my shoulders as I mention the knife, how terrified I felt. I don't tell her that my terror was less about the potential of being harmed than that of harming in turn, but it feels cathartic to finally confess to someone how powerless I felt. I'm clutching at her jacket as she tentatively asks what happened next. I don't dare look into her eyes anymore. I'm starting to realise just how much of my soul I'm spilling out to the woman before me. My hands slip away, back to hold my sides. I sigh.

"That... That gi- That girl in the snowsuit showed up." I'm thirsty. I try to stand. She helps me. "I managed to slip from that woman's grasp, but..."

"Go on..." Merida says, as we start walking towards the castle's backdoor. Her voice sounds hard, but I try not to think too much of it. I've started, I may as well finish.

"Her knife caught me as I broke free. Snowgirl chased after her. There were police officers too. I..." Johanna, her arms full of laundry, sees me. She rushes inside ahead of us, leaving the door open. I see the basket dropped just to the side as we walk in. "I just hid. I ne... I needed some space."

Johanna, bless her, is pouring hot water into a teapot as we reach the nearest sitting room. Merida is quiet as I take a seat. My tears have dried up. I feel my usual mask slipping back into position. I paw awkwardly at the hand missing a glove. I stare at the floor, the shine of the polished wood helping to distract me from what just occurred.

"Thank you," I hear Merida say to the maid. She hands me a cup. The warm tea feels welcome, though I feel myself start to fret.

Never, in the two years since I started the course at University, have I ever divulged to anyone even half as much about my thoughts, my feelings, as I just did. I'm always keeping my distance; my answers to any queries of a personal nature are as neutral as I can make them. I know that Merida attributes this to a perceived fearlessness in my character, a trait she claims to admire. Will she still care about my wellbeing after this? Will she still persist in... being my friend?

I have a sip of tea to brace myself. I look up, look at her face. She's calmer now, less wild. There's a gleam in her eye that I can't explain, a straight seriousness to the usually quirked line of her lips.

"I apologise," I say, switching to English for her benefit, before seeing her shake her head, clearly signing for me to continue in my native Norwegian. I hesitate, but comply. "I'm sorry to dump this all on you. I don't know what came over me, I... Thank you... for listening."

I'm ready for her to get up and leave. I half expect her to lash out at me, scold me for not having the same fighting spirit she has. Instead she blows a raspberry and leans back in the chair, staring at the ceiling.

"Och, halp me boab," she mutters in what I think is purely Scottish, a phrase often uttered with regards to homework, before switching back to Norwegian. She sits back up, shaking her head and grinning. "Quit it Elsa, you have nothing to apologise for. By the sounds of it you were lucky to get away with just a scratch. I... Ugh, Rapunzel is much better at this than me."

"Where is Rapunzel just now?" It is rare to see the two flatmates apart. By the sound of Merida's earlier mutterings, Rapunzel was just as anxious to check on me as the redhead.

"She has a date with her fiancé this afternoon. She was going to postpone it and come with me. I told her no. His work doesn't give her many chances to see him at the moment."

"Ah, the infamous Eugene..." I smirk, swirling the tea in my cup. My eyelids are drooping. Still, I'm relieved I didn't prevent the two from meeting up. From all her tales, Rapunzel is clearly sweet on the man.

"I'm sure Rapunzel is the only one who calls him that..." Merida sounds amused. She has more opportunities to meet the man than me. "Anyway, what I was trying to say is..." She lapses into English for a moment, before rephrasing in my tongue. Her hand reaches out to me but stops shy of my arm. She can tell I'm not in the mood for touches. Still, she smiles gently. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're only human. Did you go to the police about it afterwards?"

I hesitate but nod. "I'm... I'm seeing them about it tomorrow." I clench my jaw, ignoring the dull ache it produces.

"Good, that's... good." She straightens up in her seat and reiterates her palm punching motion from before, iron back in her voice as she glowers at my carpet. "I hope they catch that  _hag_. If I were to get my hands on her, I'd..."

The thump of fist on palm and growl that accompany it are sufficient illustration of Merida's intentions. She jumps up to her feet and whips her iphone out. She glances at me with some uncertainty.  
"I'd better call Rapunzel and let her know, if that's okay with you?"

My initial reaction is to wince. I'd rather not diffuse this tale any further than required. "Rapunzel only."

"No problem, our lips will be sealed." She's unlocking her screen as she mimics zipping her lips shut. She pauses as she turns towards the door. "I... I'll give you some space now, but if you need me or Punz', just give us a call okay? And answer your phone once in a while. We tried it at least twenty times."

I smile sheepishly, resting my teacup in its saucer. My mobile phone, the number I'd given Rapunzel for purposes of group coursework, is in my room charging and being very much ignored.  
"I'll try."

She's at the door when she pauses once more. Merida's curly hair shifts like a curtain framing the stormy gaze she directs at me. She's biting her lip. I give her my full attention.

"You take care. An-... And if..." Her accent is coming through stronger once more, showing the hesitation in her words. "If you don't feel up to coming to my party tomorrow night, I will understand."

I hadn't considered going but now... I feel strongly that I need to. Not for her: for me.  
"Thank you, but I'll definitely be there."

Her incredulous smile as she leaves warms my heart.

* * *


	5. Progress

* * *

 

 _"Blondie, will you stop pacing? ... Please?"_  
  
Eugene and Rapunzel are just out of the Cinema, waiting on the bus to take them back to her student flat. The brunette's arms are crossed as she paces back and forth at the bus stop, her fiancé glad that they're the only ones there. He doesn't like seeing that frown on her face, and he knows from experience that were any strangers to comment, she'd likely bite their heads off... In the nicest way.  
  
She huffs and stops, her foot tapping as she stares up at the sky. If he weren't so concerned, Eugene would find it cute. Thankfully, Rapunzel's phone rings, distracting his fiancée from stewing in her furious worry.  
  
Eugene is even more relieved when he realises that the voice he can vaguely hear coming from Rapunzel's handheld seems to be her Scottish flatmate's. He feels his stomach do flip-flops as he sees Rapunzel ask for the news, her features alternating between relief and horror.  
  
She told him, as they waited for the film to start, that she was worried about a classmate. Something about the crime spate in town, some vigilante figure and a worrisome sibling. He knows probably more than he'd like about the crime spate, but nothing that could help when he doesn't know the people involved.  
  
Finally, Rapunzel hangs up. He can't figure out the outcome. His girlfriend is still, as if trying to decide herself how she feels about it all.  
  
"So? Is your friend alright?"

  
Rapunzel sighs, then gives her fiancé a big gorgeous smile. "She'll be alright. More than alright: from what Mer' says, we'll be seeing her for her birthday party tomorrow! That's unheard of."  
  
Eugene grins in turn and gives his petite girlfriend a great big twirling hug.

 

* * *

  **  
Chapter 5** : Progress.

 

* * *

 

**Anna Gyllenblom**

  
The workout in Master Li's class turns out to be exactly what Anna needs. The quick, fast-paced routines, the fast kicks and synchronised patterns, it helps to still her mind, to calm her heart. Their class ends, and she stands, panting but smiling, as the younger kids flop to the ground, groaning with aches and pains before scattering to the changing rooms, hungry tummies rumbling as their parents trickle in to collect them. Kristoff is sat in the corner, helping a fellow red belt clean up a scraped knee.  
  
A hand lands on Anna's shoulder, causing her to start. She looks to her side to see the master smiling at her.  
"You alright, kiddo?" There was something querying in the Asian woman's eyes, but her body language and expression made it clear she wasn't requiring a full explanation.  
  
"Yeah..." Anna huffed, relaxing once more. Thinking back on her troubles after the mechanical bliss of exercise? They didn't seem so bad anymore. Sure, she still felt bad that Elsa got hurt despite Snowgirl's best efforts, but in the grand scheme of things, it could have ended up so much worse. Anna counted her blessings that Elsa had even made the effort to see her that morning for breakfast. It can't have been easy, knowing that she would ask. She still couldn't fathom why Elsa didn't feel she could tell her what had happened, but it wasn't unusual for Elsa to leave things unexplained. A heavy weight fell upon her heart, the same that had been weighing it down for years. She'd just have to keep on managing. The dull realisation had Anna repeating herself, a little less confidently, worry in her mind but not overwhelming anymore. "Yeah. I'm alright. Thanks Master Li."  
  
"You can call me Mulan when class is over, you know." Mulan rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she tilted her head towards the matts. "Come on, help me with these while Kristoff finishes patching up Tuffnut over there."  
  
The matts aren't that heavy, only requiring minimal effort to lift and drag into place, but they're bulky enough that Anna can see why Mulan appreciates the help. By the time they're done, it's just the two of them in the hall, the boys already in their changing rooms, Anna keen to do the same.  
  
"Hey..." Mulan says, before she leaves. Her dark hair spills out of its bun as she stretches. "If you ever need someone to talk to, you know where I am... Though I suspect Kristoff is more than able to help too."  
  
Anna doesn't quite know how to interpret the cheeky grin the older woman is giving her, though she certainly feels something leaping around in her gut at what she thinks is suggested.  
"Erm, thanks? I... Uhm..."  
  
Mulan's cheerful chuckle, hidden behind a small fist, follows Anna out of the sports hall. Kristoff is with her, leading her to where he stashed her bike the night prior. He asks the obvious questions, about how her sister is doing, how's school, when she would like to hang out and do their thing next... or just hang out, you know. It's unusual for him to do most of the talking, but she's enjoying listening to him be the one to prattle on for a change.  There's a certain charm in the way he forgets himself when he reaches his stride, a naïve earnestness that bowls her over as he starts to tell her about some of the hijinks he and Sven got up to in the mountains during the last few weeks. Its nothing like the gruff exterior he puts up around strangers, that wall he throws up around people he doesn't like, doesn't trust. Anna feels privileged that he lets her see this side of him.  
  
Of course, she doesn't leave his questions without answer. She doesn't rattle on at full speed as she would normally do, but she is truthful. Elsa is being Elsa. She's got a nasty looking cut under some gauze. She doesn't seem ready to talk about what happened, though she clearly needs to. School was school. It sucked, but mostly because Anna was worried about Elsa. She's not looking forward to resitting that history test. As for hanging out...  
  
"I... Let me think on it. I'll get back to you?" There's a speculative look in his eye as he takes in her answer, as though he's trying to decipher her reasons, but not judging her. She shrugs and offers him a hopeless smile. This week's been kind of crazy and she wouldn't mind a quiet Friday night to recover, step back and reassess. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be back to our usual hijinks in no time. You'll need to show me the results of your research!"  
  
She elbows him playfully as he fishes out his keys. Honestly, the man seems to have a key for anything. He unlocks the shed in which he'd stashed her bike, not far from the pier they'd been hanging out at last night.  
  
"Sure." He grins, as Sven lets out a low rumble and leaps up to greet them. The dog's tongue finds Kristoff's face with ease. "Hey buddy."  
  
She thanks him again, for everything really, before she gets ready to mount her bike. There's a brief pause as Kristoff's smile seems to falter. Anna's about to ask him what's wrong when she finds herself ensconced in a hug. It's a sweaty, smelly hug that is warm and cosy and has her skin tingling. She's half tempted to tell him that he needs a shower, but... She likes the musky smell of him enveloping her. There's something heady about him holding her close like this.  
  
"You alright Kristoff?" She ends up asking, humour in her voice as she pats his back. It's not like him to be this demonstrative. Quickly, he releases the embrace, clasping his hands on her shoulders. It's hard to tell in the evening light, but his cheeks seem a bit more coloured than usual.  
  
"You take care of yourself, firecracker, you hear me?" He's smiling at her, but Anna can tell he's being dead serious. She's not sure what to make of it, so she shrugs off his hands, chuckles awkwardly and mounts her bike.  
  
"I will. You too." And she waves at him as she makes her way home.  
  
Anna does ponder stopping a few times on the road back. Despite the fatigue from her class and the sheer tiredness aching through her bones, she's been sneaking out at nights to fight crime for the better part of the last few months. It's become an urge, an itch. Her eyes scan her route not just to prevent collisions, but also looking for signs of trouble, signs that someone out there needs Snowgirl... That someone out there needs her.  
  
The phone in her pocket lies heavy. She knows she has emails from southern-isles13 sitting unread. She also knows that going looking for a fight in her current state of mind, let alone worn down physical condition, is just asking for trouble. Besides, if she is to be fully honest with herself, the biggest part of her ache, her desire to be outside is her reluctance to be inside.  
  
Anna remembers the hurt she felt that morning after breakfast. She doesn't particularly want to go back to a quiet house, where Elsa will undoubtedly have locked herself away for the night, probably not even sleeping but working on some essay until the silly hours. Anna can tell, she sees the light on under Elsa's door when she sneaks back in from a night out. Sometimes she puts her ear to the door and hears Elsa muttering to herself about social science or accounts. With Gerda off, Anna doesn't even have the delight of an exciting meal to look forward to, Kai's culinary exploits often limited to meat and two veg. The staff tended to vanish off to their own quarters after seven anyway, leaving Anna to roam empty hallways, where the lack of their parents' presence would suddenly weigh heavily in the air, grief and loneliness driving her to distraction.  
  
She remembered the year of their passing as mostly a dark, tearful struggle, where she'd found herself doing a lot of the work involved alone, when she had thought that if anything were to bring her sister to her side, it would have been that. Once things settled down, Elsa had seemed to emerge, mostly to take over the running of the estate, and Anna, despondent, had turned to her hobbies with abandon. Superhero movie marathons had echoed with a need in her soul, and when she had... Anna shakes her head. Now is not the time to be reminiscing about that.

She parks her bike in its shed. She goes in through the back door, retrieving her snowsuit from the laundry basket to put in her bag. It's a good thing Johanna never questions what gets put in.  
  
Anna debates going straight to the kitchen to retrieve her dinner, but the bag on her shoulder feels heavy, textbooks and suit weighing her down as much as her mood. The house is dark, quiet. Despite her workout, she doesn't feel all that hungry. She heads for the stairs instead.

  
She hears a sound that gives her pause.  
  
"Anna?" She thinks it's her imagination playing tricks on her. "Anna, is that you?"  
  
Mind tricks or not, Anna's not one to ignore her sister's voice. She turns towards the half open door down the corridor, notices now the thin sliver of light coming from it. Feeling shy, Anna peers around the door into the sitting room.  
  
"Elsa?" Anna doesn't like the hesitation, the disbelief she hears in her own voice.  
  
It is Elsa. She's sat in one of the armchairs, one of the tables pulled close. She seems to be working on some paperwork under the light of the table lamp, empty plate nearby left from dinner. The chinking Anna had heard before Elsa called out must have come from the cup of tea in it's saucer.  
  
"Hey." There's a soft smile on her big sister's face. From this angle, Anna can't quite make out the bandage on her cheek. "How was your class?"  
  
"Fine," Anna responds automatically. She shakes herself out of her stupor. Gingerly, she steps into the room, hands twisting at the strap of her bag. "How are you?"  
  
Elsa's smile turns slightly sardonic before she schools her features into a neutral expression. She sighs. Anna sits on the sofa.  
  
"I..." Elsa's hands are crossed over one another in her lap. She's looking away, but then her gaze centres on Anna's. "I wanted to apologise for this morning."  
  
Anna's brow creases. What for?  
"Uh? Els-" Anna's reply is cut short when Elsa continues, the younger sister's heart is thumping.  
  
"You were clearly distraught when you saw the bandage on my cheek," at this Elsa points a finger at the changed bandage. Anna's delighted to see that it's been downgraded from a square gauze pad to a large plaster. The skin around it still looks a little inflamed, but it's miles better than the sight that had greeted her at breakfast. Elsa's hand flits away from her face to rest upon her breast. "And I... I refused to give you any explanation for it."  
  
"It's alright, Elsa. If you don't want to..." Anna doesn't really want Elsa to stop, but she wants to make sure she knows the option's there. The words are out automatically, a buffer in case Anna is merely getting her hopes up. If Elsa is intent on doing what she thinks she is doing...  
  
"No, Anna, you have a right to know." There's a crack in Elsa's voice, like when she'd been close, so close to opening up at breakfast. "I... Yesterday evening, I... I went down to the port..."  
  
Anna, for once, manages to keep quiet as Elsa searches for her words.  
  
"There... I... The pedestrian street I was on..." It's rare to see Elsa struggle so much with a sentence, her language usually so concise. Anna's stomach churns at the thought of anything phasing her sister this much. "I... I was assaulted. This... woman. She... I think she was running away from someone and... She held me at knifepoint to try and... dissuade them."  
  
Even though Anna secretly knew, hearing it like this, from Elsa's mouth, it's disquieting. Shame washes through her, making her head heavy and her gut twist. Anger rears its head, and she clenches her fist. She frowns, her mind revisiting all her emotions from that altercation. If she were to get her hands on that red-haired old witch right now, she...  
  
"I'm okay, Anna." She feels Elsa's hand land on her shoulder. She doesn't know when she got up, nor what to say. She blinks up at Elsa's icy blue eyes. It's the closest she's seen them in years. "I got away with just a... just a scratch."  
  
Elsa's smiling, but Anna can tell it's forced.  
  
"Are you... You are going to the police about it, right?" Anna sniffles, her eyes feel hot and wet. "If you... if you need someone to go with..."  
  
"Sh... hush..." A gloved thumb comes up to wipe away a tear on Anna's cheek. "It's being sorted. Thanks, Anna. Thank you."  
  
Elsa's eyes look wet too. Anna's arms twitch, a need in her soul. She reaches out, hoping against hope that she'll be able to reach out and give Elsa the hug that they both clearly need.  
  
The gloved hands come and still Anna's upper arms with surprising strength. Anna thinks she can decipher an apology in Elsa's face before the mask falls once again. The moment's broken.  
  
"I... I've got work to do." Elsa's voice, infuriatingly, is back to its usual business-like stride. Anna really envies that control. "I won't manage breakfast tomorrow but... I'll take you to school... if you want?"  
  
"Yes..." Anna breathes. "Yes! I... I would like that."

Elsa nods, collects her papers, and leaves the sitting room. Anna has no doubt that she is away to lock herself in her room, sit up far too late staring at maps of the estate and various written propositions on her desk. She must have a desk in there, right?  
  
Anna stays sat in the sitting room, still overcome with emotion. It's irritating, how little she feels she knows about her sister... but she knows, in her heart, that this evening was important. Elsa acknowledged that she had a right to know what happened to her. She acknowledged that they are still family. A connection was made.  
  
Anna basks in the feeling. It isn't until her stomach rumbles, loudly, that Anna makes the effort to move.

 

* * *

   
**Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

Friday starts the same as many Fridays before. I awake early, scrub and go to the kitchens to grab a pot of coffee and same pastries to take back up to my study. I become progressively more alert as the early breakfast works its magic and my mind starts to work the numbers on my worksheet with an efficiency approximating that of a small calculator. I smile, hearing the noise of a zombie down the hall heading to the bathroom. Anna's up.  
  
It feels strange, but I'm at peace. The cut on my face is still a little sore when I lean against it, but it's healing well, impressing Kai with the speed of recovery. I've managed to mask most of it with a touch of make-up, so hopefully none of the other students in my morning class will notice. I've written out most of what I remember from the attack on Wednesday, which will hopefully make the police interview at noon that much more expedient. I'm still nervous at the prospect of it, but... If I'm able to give Anna the bare bones of it, I can handle some police detectives.  
  
I did worry, last night, that I let Anna in too close. I remember holding her shoulder, her arms, wiping her tears the same way I did when we were children. She even leaned in to give me a hug. I managed to stop that, thankfully. Still, I was an emotional wreck when I went up to my room, my papers strewn across the desk as I gave in to tears. I couldn't even tell why I was crying. Anna wasn't hurt. I hadn't lied or actively pretended to be fine. I just...  
  
I remember hanging on to my friend, spilling my fears, my feelings, Merida never once seeming to judge me, no matter how I imagined she might. I remember Anna, sitting quietly as I explained what happened, not questioning, not intruding beyond what I allowed. It... It feels good to have let it all out. Maybe, just maybe...  
  
I remember Mama and Papa leaving on their trip, smiling as I reiterate my wish that they could stay. Papa's reassurances that day had been hard to believe, but now...  
  
Maybe I'll be able to tell Anna the truth. Maybe I'll be able to tell her about my magic, my powers...  
  
But no. I shake my head, refusing to let my hopes soar, nor my fears sour my mood. Today is going to be hard enough without entertaining such follies.

* * *

 

  **Elsa Countess of Gyllenblom**

"Are you picking me up after school?" Anna asks, voice half hopeful as she gets in the back seat. I look in the rear-view mirror and see her smile, hesitant, unsure.  
  
I smile back and shake my head.  
  
"As much as I would love to..." I can see Anna's eyes dim, her brow crease. I guess I'd better explain. "I've been invited to a get together by one of my classmates. I was thinking of going."  
  
And I can feel a strange bubble of in my gut, excitement I think? There's also a minuscule weight in my heart, worry, anticipation... I'm not used to social gatherings. I force myself to dismiss those worries. If I am to run the family estate, I'll need to show face at official events. This night out will be good practice.  
  
I try not to shudder when I think that in a few months' time I'll be officially inheriting the estate and mother's duties.  
  
I barely notice Anna's stuttering as I drive up past the local primary we both used to attend. My mind wandered back to thoughts of what I'd missed out on by being home schooled through secondary and high school. I only glance up at her reflection when I hear her exclaim.

 "You what?!"  
  
I'm glad for the stop sign as I pull the handbrake and turn in my seat. I arch my brow at her, trying hard not to smile at her surprise. I had surprised myself too, by deciding I'd go.  
  
"That's awesome! Can I come?"  
  
I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to the road.  
"Don't try your luck, sis."  
  
The endearment leaves my lips before I can think about it. The little squeal I hear in the back is delightful, but I feel regret. I know that this feigned proximity probably won't last... Every time I've come close, something always happens that burns me, sets our relationship back.  
  
It's not Anna's fault, I think as I drive up to her high school's drop off zone. She gets out of the car, giving me an enthusiastic wave and thumbs up. I just... Watching her walk away to interact with her classmates, carefree and energetic, I envy her and am starkly reminded of how very long I have been distant.  
  
I have a long path ahead of me but, for the first time since I was a child, I have hope that one day, maybe, we'll be as close as we once were.  
  
It's amazing what having a knife to your throat can do to your priorities in life.  
  
I'm leaning against my arm, resting on the steering wheel. I watch as Anna's twin braids disappear into the building. The sun feels warm.    
  
At the klaxon of the car behind me, I glance down at the satchel in the passenger seat next to me. Right, I need to go to class. I sit up, get the car in gear and breathe in deep. It's normally an ordeal for me, going to university, as much as I chose it. I need to brace myself for it, mentally build up my defences.  
  
Yet today I drive off with a smile. I realised yesterday. I have friends, looking out for me.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, but nice to have something a little more uplifting for a change of pace.


End file.
